Americans of the Dead
by Mister Vault 101
Summary: Jacob Collins is a somewhat ordinary American teen. He, his cousin, and two friends go to Seattle for a small class trip, but things quickly take a turn for the worst. He and his companions must fight for survival, a fight that will take them to a different nation and test their bonds of friendship as they form alliances and try to outlast the undead hordes. (May be rerated to M)
1. Not So Quiet on the Western Front

Chapter One: Not So Quiet on the Western Front

"Dude, this is awesome!"

My friend runs out in front of me. I don't know why, it's only the Space Needle and it's a mile away.

"Luke, it's not that cool," I say, shaking my head. Even though the way the Needle tops off the nighttime skyline of Seattle is neat, it's not amazing. The Eiffel Tower seems more interesting than this.

I fail to see what's so special about it, he's been to Seattle before. There's really nothing for him to be excited about.

"Luke, I don't see what's so special about this damn needle. You've seen it before."

My cousin Dominic is the one who made that statement. I look at him and he's twisting, groaning while doing so.

"Damn, that's good," he says. He must've cracked his back.

"I'll bet. You think we should follow him?" I ask.

Dom shakes his head. "No, there's no point. We all know Luke is an idiot."

"Ruku wa baka desu," I say.

"That he is."

I've been learning Japanese by myself for a couple years now and I'm pretty proficient with the language. Dom doesn't speak it and neither do my friends, but they do know some words thanks to my repeated usage of the language around them.

"Where's Tubby?" I ask, realizing we are without the fourth member of our group.

"Starbucks," Dom replies simply.

"What the hell? He's become one with the white girl..."

Dom chuckles. "Yeah, that he has. I guess we should wait for Luke to stop ogling the Space Needle, huh?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

I'll beat Luke's ass if he doesn't hurry up.

The only reason we're in Seattle is because of a class trip. It's not so much of a class trip, since that would entail the participation of our entire graduating class, but more of a pricey field trip. Dom and I managed to fundraise enough money to come, while Luigi and Luke were able to front the money outright.

Dom and I start walking towards a bench nearby and sit, tired of waiting for Luke's dumb ass. We're not even supposed to be in the streets this late, at least I don't think so.

"I wonder how someone can be so stupid," I comment.

"What do you mean?" Dom asks.

"Luke. He's the epitome of stupid."

Dom nods. "We already know this, but, yeah. It does make you wonder."

"Hey guys." The greeting belongs to a slightly high-pitched male voice, one that would stereotypically imply homosexuality.

"Luigi," Dom and I say simultaneously, also nodding at the same time towards our chubby friend.

"I see you're now a white girl," Dom jabs, pointing at the coffee cup in Luigi's right hand.

"Oh shut up, it's good coffee," Luigi replies.

"Nein, ist nicht gut," I say.

That earns me a glare. Oh well, it's not like I haven't experienced worse.

"Where's Luke?" Luigi asks as he sits down next to Dom.

"Being fat, I don't know."

That's the only answer that seems logical. Despite his thin body size, Luke's extremely lazy. All he does is eat and sit on his ass.

Personally, I'm not fond of Seattle. The west coast never appealed to me and it certainly isn't now.

"Just another year and I might be here again," I say, though I'm mainly thinking aloud.

"What, when you move to Japan?" Dom asks.

"Yeah."

"I still don't know why you want to!" Luigi exclaims.

"I've explained it several times before, but you don't pay attention," I say. "Can I have a sip of that?"

"My coffee?" Luigi asks. I nod. "No! You don't even like Starbucks!"

"Well, I'm parched."

He gasps with mock exasperation. "Fine."

Luigi raises his arm, about to hand me the coffee cup, when Luke suddenly returns.

"Guys! Guys!" he basically shouts.

"What?" Dom says while I take the coffee cup.

I raise the cup and take a sip. French vanilla, not bad. I take a drink, more of the coffee pooling in my mouth.

"Jesus!" Luigi says, snatching the cup away.

"Excuse me," I respond sarcastically after swallowing the hot beverage.

"Luke, what the hell did you want to say?" Dom says, though I look up and see Luke still catching his breath.

"Just..." He gasps for air again. "Come with... me..."

He runs off in the direction he came. Dom hops up and chases after him while Luigi and I lethargically get up.

"Should we?" Luigi asks.

I nod. "Yeah, might as well."

We start running after the other two, though Luigi is making sure his coffee doesn't spill everywhere. He'll probably shout "Jesus!" if it does.

We run through crowds of people already disturbed by our companions. How is Luke running so fast and for so long? Dom I can understand, but Luke?

"Jesus," Luigi complains. "Why do we have to run?"

"Luke's the one who should be complaining about running, not you," I retort, well aware of Luigi's presence on the soccer team. Granted, our boy's soccer team blows hardcore.

We suddenly bump into Dom and Luke. "Dammit!" I swear. My eyes shoot up to them, though they're looking through a window.

"This was so-"

"Callate!" Luke cuts Luigi off. He constantly speaks in Spanish for no reason. Just because he's in Spanish Five... Well, I randomly speak broken German and Japanese, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

Luigi goes to open his mouth, but he starts looking at the window as well. I look in the window, noting some TVs in them. I didn't know this was still done nor do I know how I didn't notice the audio. For some reason, there's a breaking news report on.

"...the President has been evacuated from the White House and been relocated to the USS George Washington. Attempts to reach the CDC about how to combat the epidemic have been fruitless so far," the newscaster said.

"The fuck is she talking about, 'epidemic?'" I ask.

"Yeah, what is it?" Dom seconds my question.

"Just keep watching," Luke says.

"...we now go live with Tom Cipriani from our sister station in Pittsburgh. How's it look out there, Tom?"

"Pittsburgh?" Luigi mutters.

"I still want to know what the hell is going on," I say, demanding the TV give me answers. The camera switches to show this Cipriani guy in downtown Pittsburgh.

"From the looks of things, Tracy, the zombies haven't been as big of a problem here. The Pennsylvania National Guard have the situation under control in the southwestern portion of the state, which includes the counties of Allegheny, Washington, Fayette, Greene..."

The reporter's voice blanks from my mind. Zombies? Did he just say zombies?

I turn to my companions. "Guys, did he just-"

"Zombies?" my cousin finishes.

Luigi and Luke just nod. I don't... What? I've joked before about wanting a zombie apocalypse, but I don't recall actually wanting one.

"They don't mean bath salt zombies, do they?" I ask, but the other three ignore me.

"...if you look behind me, you can see National Guardsmen patrolling the streets for the undead, armed with assault rifles and fifty-caliber machine guns..." A military Humvee drives in the background, a soldier manning the turret.

All of us are silent.

This is serious shit. The military's being sent out to fight them.

The picture shifts again to show the woman in the Washington, D.C. station.

"Several other cities aren't faring as well as the southwestern region of Pennsylvania. Miami, the location of the infamous bath salt zombie attack in May 2012, is under widespread siege. The Florida National Guard is currently attempting to evacuate survivors to Key West."

A short video clip of the chaos in Miami is shown. People run like madmen away from something, which I assume are the zombies. They may end up firebombing the city...

"Los Angeles is fairly safe, surprisingly thanks to the massive amount of gang members in Eastern Los Angeles. Chicago is in a similar state, but Detroit, unlike Chicago or L.A., is completely engulfed in chaos."

Another video clip rolls, this time showing buildings in Detroit on fire. Yet another video cuts in and shows several city blocks in a huge inferno.

"Mother of god..." I say.

"Mein Gott," Dom says.

Luke and Luigi are speechless. We keep watching the news report, oblivious to our surroundings.

"Numerous cities across the globe are also in various stages of distress. London has maintained order, while Beijing has gone up in flames much like Detroit..."

Hey, I don't care that much about Beijing. I don't think it matters if they're gone.

"We've just been told that Moscow has gone silent. There are also reports of widespread looting in Paris and Rome..."

They're kidding, right? No... They can't be.

"Guys, what should we do?" Luke asks. Speechless, I shrug.

"Maybe..." Dom spins around. "I don't know, go in there?" he suggests, pointing towards a bar opposite the TV-displaying store.

Brilliant idea, cousin. Let's just chill in a bar even though we're all underage.

I open my mouth to protest, but Luigi cuts me off. "Good idea. Bars have TVs, and maybe the people in there know something about what's going on."

That's actually... not too stupid. Regardless, I don't think any zombies are in Seattle.

"This is crazy, huh?" I say, but no one answers. There's a loud shriek and I look to my left to see the other three, but they're frozen in place, facing my right. "Guys, what the hell's the matter?"

Luigi is the one to respond as he raises his finger. I look to where he's pointing, my right, and my eyes widen, too.

A Washington National Guard Humvee is speeding down the street, smacking into a couple pedestrians along the way. People start screaming.

"What the hell are they doing?" I murmur.

"That can't be legal," Dom observes. No shit, Sherlock.

The Humvee is still mowing down people on the streets, and here we are, standing like dumbasses in its path.

"MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!" I shout, pulling Luigi and Luke off the sidewalk. It seems Dom already has the same idea and grabs Luke's shirt while we're on the road.

It's total chaos. People are flying, literally and not literally, trying to get out of the way. A body that was tossed up in the air by the Humvee slides right in front of us. It's mangled and bloody.

Resisting the urge to puke at the gory sight, I turn to my cousin.

"Dom, where are we going?"

"Do what I suggested, the bar!"

Luke and Luigi come to their senses and nod with me. The four of us dash across the street, several people smacking into us. There's a man on the ground, wailing in pain. He seems to have broken his ankle, but I can't grab him. Someone else runs on the man, smashing his face into the asphalt.

I feel a tug on my sleeve and I feel the urge to puke. I look up and the Humvee is right in front of me. No, I don't want to die!

The vehicle's lights temporarily blind me, causing my eyes to shut, and I can feel myself flying and my back smacking on the ground. Was I just hit?

...

I open my eyes and... Why is Dom above me?

"Dammit, 'cuz!" he swears. "Keep your head straight!"

I turn my head to see the Humvee smash into a street lamp, the engine smoking. Military vehicles shouldn't be that vulnerable to damage... Jesus, this is insane. I just saw two - maybe more - people get killed!

"Jake!"

I turn back around, Dom being the source of my name. I nod and scramble to my feet. Something's tugging at me, though. I turn towards the Humvee.

There's something wrong with that Humvee, especially if it just started mowing down civilians. We're not Soviets, so it's... weird. I don't think they would've been given orders to kill fellow Americans, especially those who aren't infected or whatever.

I don't know why I'm walking towards the military vehicle now, I really don't.

"Jacob!" Dom yells. I hold up my hand as I keep walking. People bump into me as they scatter about, trying to get to safety.

"What the hell is he doing?" I hear Luigi ask.

"I need to know what caused these Guardsmen to drive like it was Grand Theft Auto," I mutter. "I really do." Why am I talking if they can't hear me?

I reach the side of the Humvee, propped up on the bent street lamp. This thing really managed to do some damage. What's with these windows, though? They're... holy mother of god, is that blood? It is! Holy shit!

Maybe I should check the front.

Standing on the front driver's side tire, I peer into the windshield. I see a smashed up face behind some more blood. What the hell happened to these men?

"Jake, for Christ's sake," Dom shouts, barely audible above the commotion. "Get the hell over here!"

I ignore my cousin and peer deeper into the vehicle. Its occupants are dead, it seems. If there's one thing I know about zombies, it's that you need to kill them. A viable killing tool is a gun, and National Guardsmen have guns, so...

I hop off of the tire and walk to the door, my hand shaky as I raise it to the handle. I grip the handle and pull.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" my companions shout.

The driver's body rolls out of the seat, mangled and surreally decomposed. I don't... Oh god... I think I'm gonna...

A torrent of partially-digested food and stomach acid forces its way out of my throat. The vomit covers the dead Guardsman's face. Holy... This is too much. It's insane!

I hear countless rapid footsteps as I try to catch my breath after desecrating the dead serviceman's body. Is that dishonorable? I think it is.

"Gut Gott!" I hear Dom shout, a hand touching my back. "What were you thinking?"

"Gu-" I cough. "-guns."

"Why? No good survival story starts with the heroes having guns. Besides, the military'll have it all under control soon."

I shrug him off. "Doubt it," I cough. How can he be so confident about that?

I step over the dead Guardsman's body and peer into the Humvee's interior. Blood cakes the seats, the windows, the man in the passenger seat still moving. Had I not puked all over the...

Wait, he's moving? He's just smacking his face on the window, groaning. The dome light is illuminating his face, which is disgustingly gray. Is this gent a zombie?

He seems oblivious to me, so I decide against bringing attention to myself. Even if I did, the noise outside should keep him distracted until I find what I want. I look around the front, but there's nothing of interest. I back up and shut the door, coming face to face with Dom.

"Let's. Go," he forcefully says, grabbing my arm.

"I will once I get a weapon." I yank my arm away and open the back door.

The overhead light comes on again and the back is not as bloody as the front, thankfully. Where would they put the guns in a military Humvee? I swear it's in the back. Maybe...

Ah! There's one! What is it, an M16A1? I don't care. I grab the part of the rifle that's visible and yank it out. There's a magazine inserted, thank god it didn't accidentally fire. Now, more ammo...

I back out with the M16 in hand and look to my left. The dead Guardsman is still lying there, military vest and all. They usually have magazines in their vests...

"What are you gonna do with that?" Dom asks. I guess Luigi and Luke are already holed up in the bar.

"I'm gonna fucking shoot you if you don't shut up." He pipes down and I bend down next to the Guardsman, setting the M16 down next to me. I rummage through his vest, and sure enough, he has some magazines. Three, to be exact. Oh well, better than nothing.

I then grab around his thigh, where side holsters normally are. I touch metal, grab hold, and yank, pulling out a Beretta M9. Standard-issue nine millimeter... I'll give it to Dom. I feel around the fallen soldier's body for M9 magazines, finding a total of four. I stand up, shoving the M16 mags into my pockets and grabbing the M16 by the carrying handle.

"Here," I hold the M9 out to my cousin.

He hesitates. "Jake, this is impractical."

I slide the pistol and its ammo into my free pocket. "Then don't complain when some freaksack is chowing on your femur."

Dom sighs, possibly exasperated with me. He holds out his hand. "Give me the damn gun."

I grin, glad that he gets my point. Sliding the gun out of my pocket, I hand it to him, grip first. "Glad you see it my way, cousin."

He snatches the gun away and flicks off the safety, aiming it near me.

"What the hell?" I ask. Why is he aiming at me of all people?

"Look behind you," he says.

I turn my head to see what he's talking about. Surely it can't be anything ma-

"Ughhhh..."

What the hell?! The body, it's moving! And grabbing my leg! But how? Unless...

I grip the M16's carrying handle tight and use my free hand to hold the rifle's pistol grip. Using all of the force I can, I raise the gun up into the air and bring the butt down on the puke covered skull. A sickening thud ensues, brain matter and skull fragments mixing in with the partially-digested food.

It's a good thing I can't throw up ag-

"Bleeeh!"

My head spins back to Dom, who hurls all over the sidewalk. Someone slips in it and falls on their sorry ass.

"Goddammit!" the man shouts as he hastily gets back up to continue running.

"Asshole," I mutter as I hand Dom the four M9 magazines still in my possession.

He takes them and shoves them into his pocket, wiping away excess vomit from his mouth with his other hand.

"That's disgusting," he says.

"I know."

We walk back to the bar, his M9 at the ready and my M16 lazily hanging on my side. I think I should use this carrying strap...

I sling the carrying strap over my right shoulder, that way the rifle hangs by my right hand.

I look behind us to see some guy have the same idea I did. He opens the door and the other zombie lunges at him, grabbing hold and feasting. That poor guy... getting his face eaten off... I don't wish that on anybody. Now I wish I shot it.

We duck into the bar. Dom closes the door behind us and we walk to the actual bar. There are several people nervously sitting at tables scattered around the bar. Luigi and Luke are sitting at the actual bar and talking with the bartender, a man who seems to be in his sixties. He, I might add, is holding a twelve-gauge pump-action shotgun. They notice the two of us walking towards them.

"Why do you have those?" Luigi asks, confused.

"A better question," the bartender says, pointing at me. "How'd you get that assault rifle?"

"National Guard Humvee crashed outside," I say.

"You stole from the military?" Luke asks incredulously.

"It wasn't stealing," Dom says.

"Especially not when the Guardsmen we 'stole' from are zombies," I add.

"Zombie Guardsmen?" the bartender asks. Dom and I nod. "Sweet Jesus, the military's fallen?"

"Just a couple Guardsmen," I say. "I don't think it's that bad."

"Sure, kid." The bartender walks to the window of the dimly lit bar and looks out the window. "Shit..."

"What?" Luke asks, curious. I hate to say it, but I don't know if he'll be able to last in this kind of thing, so I hope it blows over.

"Take a look for yourself."

The four of us walk to the window and look out.

The sight is horrific. In the minute or so since Dom and I came inside, the streets have gone from a bumbling site of chaos to a gruesome dinner hall. Zombies, gray-skinned and those whose skin tones have yet to change, shamble around the streets. Some people are too stupid to run, instead thinking that shouting to get away will help.

I hate clichés like that. They're zombies, people. Just run.

There's a young woman who knocked a zombie off of some dude, likely her boyfriend or someone close, and she's caressing him. He inches up and takes a chunk out of her jugular. I turn away to avoid seeing the blood spray and try to block out her screams. The other people in the bar look at the window, concerned.

I slide the M16 off of my shoulder and grab the carrying handle. These people could use help. I pull the rifle up and grab the grip, but the bartender puts his hand on the barrel.

"Save your ammo, kid."

"Why? I've got a hundred-twenty rounds! One headshot each and I could clear this street!" I can save lives if I clear them out!

The bartender just rolls his eyes. "Unless you want to attract a horde with that gunfire, go ahead. I won't stop you, but don't think I'll save you."

I give the bartender a glare, even though he's right. It's just unnecessary attention...

The bartender closes the window curtains. "Joe," he suddenly says, spinning on his heel. One of the patrons at the bar itself looks up. "Turn on the TV, see what the hell's going on."

Joe nods and fumbles with a remote, clumsily pushing the power button. No matter the channel, news reports will be on. Sure enough, they are.

"...from Japan regarding the outbreak there as well." The newscaster's hair looks frayed now. This is seriously something if the news teams are getting this stressed.

The video that played is actually a newscast from Japan, it seems. There's kanji that mean "Breaking News" on the bottom left of the screen.

Subtitles are showing up, but I know what the Japanese woman is saying.

"...more than one thousand have been victimized in the Saitama area so far. The governor has called for a-"

A gunshot rings out, causing the reporter to look to her right. The cameraman moves the camera's angle to face where the shots came from. A Japanese ambulance has its back open, ready to load two body bags on. The body bags start to rise, and another shot is fired, going through one of the body bags. A third shot is then fired, going through the other body bag.

"The police have started to open fire! I don't know what's going on, but-"

The reporter is cut off by screaming and the camera falls on the ground. God knows what happened there. One thousand dead or undead in a Japanese community alone... the entire cities of Beijing and Detroit in flames...

I slump into one of the bar stools. Were I old enough, I'd be ordering a shot of whiskey right about now.

"...Cuba, Havana is lost and the people are revolting in the streets..."

"What are we gonna do?" Luke asks, slumping down next to me.

"No clue," I say. "It's safe back home, so we could try to get a flight-"

"You know that won't work, Jake," Dom says. He's right, since I'm well aware of that impossibility.

"Trying to be optimistic, Dom."

"How very unlike you. What, you trying to assume a leadership kinda role or something?"

I groan. "No, Luke's our leader." Sarcasm is dripping from my voice like water from a leaky faucet.

"The sarcasm's much appreciated."

I glare at my cousin.

"Maybe we should argue when we've got an idea of what we should so," Luke interrupts.

I point to Luke and nod. He finally has a bright idea.

Dom nods, groaning. "Yeah, maybe you're right for once, Luke."

Luigi goes back to the window and looks out it again, slightly raising the curtain.

"Whatcha see, Weegee?" Dom asks.

"Nothing good," is the reply. "It's slowly waning, but slowly getting worse at the same time." He makes a hiccup-like sound and backs up. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Must've seen someone getting eaten.

The bartender grabs Luigi by the collar of his shirt and spins him around, pointing to a garbage can adjacent to the bar.

"Blow chunks in that," he says to my friend.

Luigi nods and stumbles to the wastebasket. I turn away from him as he paints the bag yellow.

"Can I get something to drink?" I ask the bartender.

He nods and walks to me. "Sure. Given the rapid deterioration of things, I'll even give you some liquor."

I shake my head, despite thinking about ordering whiskey earlier. "I don't drink."

He nods. "Smart kid. It's a bad habit to pick up." He turns to Luke and Dom. "You kids want anything?"

"Water," Luke says.

"I'll take you up on that offer. Shot of whiskey, please," Dom says. Of course he'd get liquor.

"And you?" the bartender looks at me. I don't know what I want, really.

"Got any Coke?"

"Kid, I serve alcohol and alcohol accessories, not hard drugs." He looks at me and cracks a smile. "Sure. I'll get your other buddy some water."

He turns around and starts getting us our drinks. Luigi hobbles back over next to us and sits next to me. Dom's being a hipster, standing the whole time. This bartender is a weird dude, giving Dom alcohol and not even mentioning prices.

"We need a plan," Dom sighs.

"I agree." My hand snakes up my neck and my nails dig into my neck.

"Getting the hell outta dodge would be a good one," Luigi says.

I roll my eyes. "We all know that's what we need to do."

My gaze drifts up to the TV. Japan, China, Britain, France, Italy, Russia... The most populous nation, no matter how much I despise it, lost a major city. Russia lost the capital, as did Italy and France. Britain's capital maintained order, so that should be reassuring, right?

I groan. No, no it shouldn't. For all I know, they'll send their navy over to retake the colonies. Actually, that's just silly.

"Dude, you're looking as if you're taking responsibility or something." Dom's voice breaks my thoughts.

I shrug and rub my eyes. "No, just thinking." The M16's tiring my arm, so I pull it up and set it on the counter.

"Here ya go," the bartender says, returning with our drinks. He hands them to their respective orderers. "Coke, shot of whiskey, and two waters."

"Thanks," Dom says as he picks up the whiskey glass. He enjoys the occasional drink, even though it's illegal. I see his logic, though. There's no law, no order... Why obey laws that aren't being enforced?

"Arigatou," I say.

"No problem, Mister Roboto," the bartender says.

"Water?!" Luigi says, talking with his hands at the same time.

"You blew chunks, I don't think pop would've helped you," I say.

"So did you!" he retorts.

"That was five minutes ago."

"Doesn't matter!"

I sigh and spot a white cup on one end of the bar. "What about your coffee?"

Luigi opens his mouth but words don't come out. He glances to the spot on the bar a bit further down and notices his Starbucks cup. He quietly gets up and walks to retrieve it.

I glance at Luke and notice that he's sipping on the water, but he's not talking. This is kinda disturbing, but I think Luke's just in shock. It doesn't surprise me, honestly.

Now that I think about it, he's paler than usual. Yeah, he must be in shock or something.

Luigi sits back down next to me, sighing as he does so. I take a long draft of the Coke and belch after I do so.

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!_

That knocking is annoying me. I look around the bar counter and I'm not the only one having their nerves ridden. One patron at a table hops up and sprints to the door.

"What do you think you're doing, Gerald?" the bartender asks.

This Gerald fellow has a manic look on his face. "It might be survivors, Carl!"

The bartender, who I guess is Carl, slams his hand down on the table. "It's likely a damn corpse! Keep the door shut!"

Gerald shakes his head and pulls open the door. Someone flops on top of him when the door swings open a bit more.

"Look Carl, it's a surviv-" Gerald starts screaming.

I grab the M16 and Dom draws the M9, but Carl beats us both to the punch. A deafening bang is followed by the pumping of the shotgun. I look at Gerald and see bite marks on his shoulder, blood having been drawn. There's a huge spatter of blood on the wall and a body next to Gerald. The body... its head looks like someone stuck an M80 into a watermelon.

"I told you to keep the door shut!" Carl says, furious.

"Bleeeeergh!"

I hear someone puking again. I look to my right and its Luke. He just redecorated the counter's laminate. I look back at Carl and he doesn't look too pleased.

Thank god I'm done puking. It's really getting annoying.

Joe, the guy who turned the TV on, runs to this Gerald fellow's side.

"Ger! You alright?" he asks. I can see Gerald shake his head, but Joe doesn't seem to care. He heaves the moron up and drapes the jackoff's arm across his shoulder.

Joe starts walking back to the others with Gerald. Blood's dripping down from Gerald's bite wound. I get up and walk to the door, kicking the body out and shutting it before anymore shamblers barge in. That's a pretty nasty bite mark, come to-

Bite marks. He's been bitten. He's gonna turn. It's basic zombie logic.

I calmly walk back to the counter and grab the M16. This is the only option, right? Indeed it is. I shoulder the rifle, closing my left eye to aim down the sight. I can pull the trigger right now and prevent him from reanimating.

"Jake, what're you doing?" Luigi and Dom ask at the same time.

"He's gonna turn," I say.

Some of the people at the tables notice. "Hey! What the hell, kid?! Put the damned gun down!" one says.

Joe looks back because of that guy. "Hey! He's going to be fine, so calm yourself, kid!" He sets Gerald's unconscious, or dead, body on the table and spins around.

I don't think I'm going to lower this weapon.

"We said stand down, you little brat!" a third patron says. The men all stand and start walking towards us, a couple cracking their knuckles. They do realize there's an assault rifle pointed at them, right?

Carl raises his shotgun and Dom pulls out his M9, whiskey glass still in hand.

"Carl, what the hell?" Joe says.

"I agree with the kid, Joseph. Gerald may be your brother, but haven't you ever seen a zombie flick?" Joe slowly nods. "The zombies bite a man and the poor bastard'll die and become one."

"This is different! Those are movies, this is real life!" Joe retorts.

"There were two National Guardsmen out there," I say loudly. "I opened the door to their Humvee and the driver fell out, dead. The passenger was alive, zombified. The driver then came back and grabbed my leg before I killed him, so take a guess at what happened?"

"You're full of it, you ungrateful asswipe!"

"Then take a look outside!" Dom says, sipping on the whiskey. I don't know how he's drinking and aiming at the same time.

"And what," a man near the back says. "See nothing but chao-"

He starts screaming. What the...?

Everyone in Joe's group turns around and we all see Gerald making the one dude his snack. Blood spurts out of the bite wound Gerald made.

Joe runs and pushes Gerald's corpse off of the dude who just got bit. That guy's on the ground, whimpering in pain. Everyone else scatters. Some run into the streets, certainly to their doom, while others go to corners of the bar, trying to distance themselves.

"Baka! Dummkopf! Dumbass!" I shout at Joe, raising my rifle.

"Don't shoot!" He turns his 'brother' over and starts shaking him. "Ger, it's me, Joe. Your brother." I hear a faint sob.

"Keep your rifle aimed, kid," Carl says. I nod and flick off the safety, hovering my finger over the trigger. Good thing no one noticed I had the safety on earlier.

Luigi and Luke are standing close to the window, I guess. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see my cousin but not them.

"Ooooooooh..." Gerald's corpse groans.

Joe sobs again. "That's right, it's me, Joe."

"He didn't say 'Joe,' you idiot!" Dom yells.

"Yes he did! Just listen!"

"Oooooh..." Zombie Gerald groans again.

I can't get a clear shot on the freaksack from here, so maybe I should move to the left some.

"Yeah, Joe. You'll be fine, bro. You-" Joe's pep talk ends with his screaming. Dammit, I couldn't move fast enough.

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!_

"Open the door! Come on, open the do-" Screaming ends that, too. So much screaming...

Dom pulls up the M9 and fires a shot, making a hole in Gerald's head.

"Now you're gonna die," my cousin calmly says.

"What? No, I don't want to die! I-ARGH!" He grabs his shoulder, blood visibly dripping from where he's grabbing.

"Shouldn't have insisted on saving your dead brother," I say.

"Guys, there are zombies outside the door," Luigi says.

Carl runs as fast as I think he can towards the back of the bar. "Everyone through there!" He points to a door.

Luigi and Luke follow, in conjunction with the rest of the people in the bar. Six people plus Carl are through that door already.

"You two, come on!" Carl calls from the doorway.

"One second," I say, turning to Dom and lowering the M16 to carry it by the carrying handle. "Give me the gun."

"What're you gonna do?" he asks as he hands it to me, grip first.

I walk over to the wriggling human being that is Joe, kneel down, and press the barrel of the M9 against his head.

"Don't pull the trigger!" Joe pleads.

"Jake, you can't be serious," Dom says, concern in his voice. "You can't just kill him."

"He'll just turn if I don't. Joe, wouldn't you rather die a human and not an undead sack of crap?"

"But I don't want to die!"

"No one does," I say. "You're unfortunate in the fact that you got bit. Your brother caused this, whether you like it or not."

"It's not his fault!" He wriggles some more, groaning in pain. Blood's coming out of his mouth now.

"Had he not opened the door like Carl said, you both would be alive! You're gonna die a man, not a corpse!"

Joe just glares at me, the blood coming out of his mouth glistening with the light. "Go... to... hell..." He's shaking violently.

"If preventing other people from having trouble with one more zombie causes me to go to hell, I'll gladly go."

I wrap my finger around the trigger and pull. The gunshot rings out, the Beretta's slide blows back, the spent shell casing is ejected, blood and brain matter spray out of the fatal wound...

I just killed a man. Put a gun up to his head, pulled the trigger... Now he's dead.

It's for the best. I didn't know the man, but I still believe it was for the best that I killed him. For him and other people.

"JESUS!" Dom shouts. "You freaking killed him! Cousin, what the hell is wrong with you?!"

I turn around and stand. "You know he wouldn't've survived! He would have came back and turned someone else!"

I start walking away, but there's that other guy Gerald bit. He's still wriggling on the ground. "Kill... me..."

I raise the pistol and fire a shot, the round going through his jaw and up into his brain. Poor man, just like Joe and Gerald. Brain matter and blood paints the floor now.

"Jake! You can't just shoot everyone!" Dom runs up to me, snatching the M9 out of my hand.

"He said to kill him, cousin." I was merely granting him his wish.

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!_

"Shit!" Dom grabs my free hand and starts running to the door. "We've got to move!"

I don't know why, but it feels as though something inside of me died, like I've lost my humanity. Is it immoral to euthanize? Is it wrong to allow people to not end up becoming a monster, but die as a person?

Dom flings me through the doorway and slams the door shut behind us. We're in an alleyway, I guess.

"Jake..." Dom breathes heavily, looking up at me before grimacing. "Don't stop moving, let's catch up with the others."

I look to both ends of the alleyway and see nothing. I don't know where they could have go-

_BAM_!

"Sounds like a shotgun," Dom says.

It came from the right end of the alley. I raise my hand and point that way. We start to run down the alley and turn at its end. Carl and the others are standing there, a corpse lying in front of the group.

"Glad you could join us!" the old bartender says, waving his arm as we run to meet the group.

"Yeah, definitely," Dom responds.

I don't know why, but I've got a bad feeling about the others at the hotel. I don't think they're safe...

"What's up, kid? You look grim."

"Who, me?" I ask. He nods. "I'm just worried about our friends at the hotel."

"Shit, I forgot about them," Luigi says. Why am I not surprised?

"I'd suggest you four go check in on them, then." Carl seems pretty serious about this.

I nod. "We really should, guys." As if to reinforce my decision, I raise the M16A1.

"The five of us will go on and find somewhere to hold up," Carl says. "Jake, I guess you are, you've got balls. Go check on your friends and make sure they're safe. Maybe we'll meet again someday."

The five men from the bar start walking away, leaving the four of us to our devices.

"Brilliant, Collins," Luigi sighs. "Now what?"

"We should go to the hotel," Luke says.

"Yeah, we are." I rub my eyes with one hand. "There's just one problem."

"What?" Luigi cocks an eyebrow.

"Getting there." The streets of Seattle are foreign to us, so it's gonna be difficult getting back from here.

"What if we head back to Starbucks and continue from there? I know the way back from there." Luigi raises his coffee cup as if to make a point.

"Or..." Dom pulls out his cell phone from 2009. "We could use the GPS function."

Huh, smart thinking. No one ever uses that thing.

Luigi scoffs and drinks his coffee, apparently downing the rest of it since he tosses the cup down the alley. I guess Dom is typing the hotel's address into the GPS thing right now. Maybe Google Maps would've been a better idea.

I sit and and look at the M16. I don't think I'll be in possession of this thing for too long for some reason. It's a damn shame that I'm thinking that, too.

"Okay, I've got it," Dom says. "Luke, Luigi, grab something to use as a weapon and the three of you follow me."

I stand up and shoulder the M16. I'm glad that Dad did those military drills for once, teaching me proper firearms discipline and all. That's what happens when your dad's a Marine.

Luke grabs a broken beer bottle while Luigi grabs a broken metal pipe. Whatever you can get your hands on to use... Maybe I should've grabbed that Guardsman's knife...

"Alright," Dom says, the M9 readied. "We're moving out! Stay close and cover each other."

...and now I regret dragging Dom into those sessions with me. But for now, our destination is the hotel.

We start moving, checking our corners and keeping alert. Luke better not lose it.

The alleyway is empty, thankfully. We continue out into the streets and I take note of the immense number of zombies on the streets. There's so many... What's odd, though, is how they're not paying attention to us. We've walked past a couple and they haven't tried swinging at us or attacking us.

We make it in front of some store with music playing outside. I think it's a local grocer or something, but the zombies are crowded underneath the speakers.

"What the hell is up with them?" I whisper to Dom.

My cousin shrugs and we continue walking. I'm shocked that we've made it this far without an incident.

_WHACK!_

I take that back. I look to my side and see Luigi clobber a walking corpse that seems to have gotten too close.

Nonetheless, we carry on.

After a few minutes of walking, Dom speaks up. "Almost there." He points down the street to a tall building. "There's the hotel."

"Bueno," Luke says.

I hush Luke. "We're almost there, shut your trap."

Luke raises his hands in mock fear and we carry on. I whack a couple zombies in the back of the head with the butt of the M16 as we creep to the hotel. I don't think I killed a couple of them, but they still don't seem to be able to get up. Just like a turtle on its back, I guess.

Two or so more minutes of creeping ends with us in front of the hotel. There are zombies walking right into the lobby's windows.

"Just like Luke," Dom says.

"Those windows must taste like apples," I add.

"Shut up!" Luke says. "That was eighth grade!"

"No matter," Dom says. "Anyway, we need to think of a way to assault the building."

"I think I've got an idea," I say. "Gather 'round, watashi no tomodachi..."

* * *

**Meanwhile, outside of Fujimi High School in Tokonosu City, Japan...**

* * *

"Who's that?" Takashi Komuro asked, looking out of the open bus door.

"It's Shidou-sensei of class three-A," replied Saeko Busujima, the captain of the Kendo club.

"Shidou..." Rei Miyamoto knew exactly who that was. The teacher running towards the bus with some students. She hated that man.

"We can go now!" Shizuka Marikawa, the school nurse, called. She was the only one able to drive the bus.

"Wait just a little bit longer," Takashi replied.

_For what? _Rei thought.

"They're in front of us," Marikawa complained. "Any more and we won't be able to drive through here!"

"Then run 'em down!"

"If Doctor Boobs tries to drive over that many, we'll flip the bus," Saya Takagi, the resident genius, said matter-of-factly.

Takashi groaned and turned to the open door, ready to run out and cover the students running to the bus.

Rei hopped up and grabbed Takashi's arm. "We don't have to save him!"

"Jesus!" Takashi broke Rei's grip on his arm and spun around to face her. "What do you mean we don't have to save him?"

_Why do you want to?!_ Rei thought angrily.

"We don't have to save him!" Rei shouted, getting into Takashi's face. "We should just leave him here to die!"

The two faced off, glaring at each other. Rei saw the scene behind Takashi, though. Shidou was instructing the others to hurry up, but a boy tripped. Instead of helping him up, Shidou kicked his face in and left him to die. _Bastard!_

Shidou walked onto the bus after his students and Takashi closed the door. "Okay, go!"

"Hang on!" Marikawa warned.

_Takashi, you'll regret this,_ Rei thought ruefully as Doctor Marikawa started driving the bus.

"To the gate!" Saya commanded.

"I know!" the nurse responded.

Marikawa drove erratically, muttering something to herself. Rei felt uncomfortable, especially when the nurse started plowing through Them. That wasn't the only thing making her uncomfortable. Shidou's presence was making her very uncomfortable.

The school nurse plowed through the school's gates and started speeding down the road, all of the blossoming cherry blossoms becoming a blur to Rei.

"Can't believe we did it," Takashi muttered after a few minutes, obviously relieved. Rei couldn't believe he did it either, saving that asshole.

"Yeah." Rei looked up to see Shidou walking to the front of the bus. "I'm glad we did."

Rei saw Kohta Hirano giving Shidou a sideways glance. _Please shoot him with your nail gun Kohta, please... _she pleaded internally.

Shidou leaned down next to Saeko. "I take it you have been appointed leader?"

Saeko stopped cleaning her kendo stick and slightly turned her head. "There's no such thing. We just work together to survive, that's all."

"That's not good," Shidou growled. "In order to survive, we definitely need a leader. A leader who bears everything, with valor, with confidence..."

Rei wanted to kill the man outright. "You'll regret this," she angrily said to Takashi. "I guarantee that you'll regret that you helped him."

Rei really wanted to kill the man, and she would if she had the chance. She just couldn't believe Takashi helped him. The dumbest thing he could have done...

* * *

**Author's Note: Yeah, things escalated quickly with our American pals. Questions? PM me!**

**Please remember to review and follow/favorite if you like this story and want to see more!**

**I blame any and all spelling errors on iOS autocorrect.**


	2. Not Exactly Hotel California

Chapter Two: Not Exactly Hotel California

"Okay guys, ready?" I ask, the four of us pressing up against the walls next to the hotel's entrance.

"Ready as Charlie Sheen is winning," Dom says.

I give my cousin a sideways glance. Did he really just say that?

"Let's just go," Luigi says. He certainly seems eager to smack some corpses with the way he's weighing that metal pipe in his hands.

I look at Luke, but he's quiet. I wonder why he's not talking. At least he seems ready, the broken bottle's neck firmly in his grip.

I look over the M16 one last time. Safety's on, fire selector is set to full-auto in case the fan gets encased in crap... I think I'm set. Wait, I forgot to check if it's loaded. I pull the charging handle back and nothing pops out of the ejector port. There's a round in the chamber now, but I can't believe I forgot to do that earlier.

Dom's flipping the M9 in his hand. Those hold, what, seventeen rounds per mag? I shot twice and he shot once, so he's down to fourteen rounds. Oh well, there should be things we can pick up to conserve ammo.

"Remember Dom, don't fire unless necessary. Okay, on three," I say, holding my hand up, balled into a fist.

"In English, please," Luigi asks.

Fine, you party pooper.

"One... Two..." I sense some anxiety... Okay, maybe that's just me. "Drei!"

"Asshole!" Luigi groans. Shouldn't have told me to speak in just English.

Dom and I take point, since we have guns, and slowly open the doors. Kicking them open would have been fun, if I say so myself. No one liked that idea.

The doors open smoothly. There aren't any zombies directly in front of the doors, since they're all spread out. There's a group near the reception desk, a loud busy tone emanating from that way.

Blood stains the once-lavish carpeting in this lobby. There are some dead bodies on the floor, likely zombies that were killed before their assailants themselves joined the ranks of the undead.

I point to Luke and Dom and then to a group at the opposite end of the lobby. I then make a throat-slit motion. Luke and Dom nod, going off to do their job.

I motion to Luigi to follow me and we sneak up on the zombies crowded around the reception desk. The others don't seem to notice us and they're looking right at us. Either they're blind or smarter than I thought. I really hope it's the former.

I make the elimination motion again after pointing to the group. Luigi nods and raises the metal pipe. I do the same with the M16, flipping it and gripping the handguard with both hands. I don't think this is a good idea, but I could be doing something far dumber right about now.

Luigi brings the pipe down, busting a skull open like a water balloon. I swing the assault rifle with as much force as possible, the butt smacking into the back of a freaksack's skull. A small amount of brain matter sprays out, getting on my shirt. A few of the still "alive" zombies start to turn around.

I glance at Dom to see him in a struggle with a zombie. What the hell did he do, try wrestling with it? Luke has a bit of blood on him, suggesting he killed at least one, but Dom... What the hell, cousin?

_BLAM!_

Dammit, he shot! Luke, you couldn't have just stabbed the damn thing, huh?

"We're going loud!" I say, flipping the M16 around and grabbing the pistol grip and handguard. I flick off the safety and shoulder the rifle, aiming at the crowd in front of me. I line up the shot, trying to get as many in the sight as I can.

I exhale and squeeze the trigger for a second, firing a couple rounds. Damn, this recoil is stronger than I remember.

The spent casings lightly thud on the carpet, as do about six zombies. Luigi whacks another zombie in the head, caving the skull in. This is disgusting, but it might very well be how we have to do things from now on.

A few more shots are fired from Dom's Beretta. I don't need to look to know he's panicked. I would be, too.

I look at the desk and spot an overturned lamp. Snatching it up with my left hand, I swing the lamp at a zombie's face. I feel stupid now, since the lampshade's still on and only dazed the undead bastard. I spin the light source in my hand and bring the base of it down on the walking corpse's forehead. Through the lamp, I feel the forehead break and some mushy resistance.

Disgusting! I drop the lamp, it and the zombie falling on the ground. Luigi seems to be going to town on those zo-

_BLAM! BLAM!_

"Stop shooting!" I shout, turning back towards Dom. There's a small pile of the redead undead and Luke in a corner, his shirt and face covered in blood and brain matter.

"And let them get Luke?" Dom asks, aiming the M9 at another maggot-sack. "No chance in hell!"

He pulls the trigger again, causing another zombie to fall. His aim doesn't seem precise, since it was a chest shot and the zombie was fairly close. He's panicking a little too much.

I spin around to the desk, grab a pen off of it, and twirl back around. That sounds silly, twirling. I grab a zombie by its shoulder and spin it around, only to jab the pen as far as I can through its eye. I punch the freak a couple times for good measure and it falls back, groaning. I step on its face for added results.

The hotel lobby's become a slaughterhouse. There aren't that many zombies left, six from what I've counted. Blood is everywhere, even on the ceiling. I don't want to know how it got up there.

Luigi takes the metal pipe and rams it through a zombie's head. How he did that is... I want to know how, but not now.

Another glance around and... it seems I was right. Four zeds are still standing, but they won't be for much longer.

I grip the M16's handguard with my left hand again, switch the fire selector to semi-auto, and take aim on a zombie.

"Hop on the desk," I tell Luigi. He nods and climbs on top of the desk.

"Why though?" he asks.

I shake my head. "Hey dumbasses!" The zombies all look at me, or roughly at least.

"Shoot already!" Dom yells.

"Keep quiet and check on Luke!"

"How about you take a da-" I turn my head and glare at Dom.

"Luke. _Now._"

He glares back and grimaces, turning to our pale friend.

Righting myself, my attention returns to the undead. There's something I want to try, so I start to backpedal. They need to get lined up...

The four all move their heads in roughly the same direction and my finger tightens around the trigger. The hammer comes down and strikes the primer of the cartridge.

It's basic physics, I guess. I know that if you fire off a round and it goes through the target, it will keep going for a bit and possibly penetrate another target. Line up four targets in a close row and maybe the bullet will go through them all.

On the ballistics side of things, the 5.56x45mm NATO rounds aren't exactly known for their ability to cause collateral damage. I guess it'd be more likely to happen if I was using an AK, FAL, or an M14, but it's out of my control. At least the zombies' bodies seem to be structurally weaker...

...

I need to stay off of the Internet and away from my dad when he's on leave.

The bullet leaves the barrel of the rifle and punches through two of the skulls, leaving the other two standing. I quickly pull the trigger again, downing the remaining undead.

I turn around, satisfied by the carnage that we caused, and look at Luke. He looks pale...er. Okay, no, he looks the same. Dom seems to be taking care of him, but I haven't an inkling of an idea as to what's wrong.

Luigi hops off of the desk and we walk to the opposite side, where Luke and Dom are.

"What's up with him?" I ask, flicking the safety on, then slinging the rifle over my shoulder and under my opposite armpit.

"I don't know," Dom says. "There're no bite marks, but..."

"Maybe he's in shock," Luigi hypothesizes. I look at him, eyebrows cocked. "What? He's covered in blood and brain matter. You know how Luke is with blood."

"Yeah," I say, pacing back and forth. "Get a papercut and he flips out."

"Exactly."

"Well, we can't just leave him there, nor can we take him around with us." I scratch my head and try to think, but that busy tone is annoying the hell out of me.

That damn busy tone.

"Argh! Dammit!"

I angrily stomp to the phone, causing more blood spatter because I may or may not have smashed my foot into some skulls. Picking up the phone, I throw it as hard as possible against the wall. The phone's corded and its dock station, or whatever it is, cracks and falls down, cracking some more. It's not broken... yet.

My foot makes sure it stays out of service.

Dom groans. "You know we could've use-"

Looking up is pointless. "We couldn't have, Dom."

"How so?"

I turn to face him. "In case you haven't realized, there are zombies running amok! Or shambling as fast as possible, but that's not the point. Nine-one-one wouldn't be able to do shit, since everyone knows about this already, which means that they're likely sending out every officer on calls as we speak. 'Oh, my husband got bit by a zombie!' 'Don't worry, ma'am, we're sending an entire SWAT team to assist you.'"

"But what about the mil-"

"You already saw what happened with the National Guard. All we can rely on them for is weapons and ammo if any fall to the zombies."

Dom's irritating me more and more. I don't know why. As for Luke...

I look at the reception desk, then Luke, then back to the desk.

"Grab Luke's arms," I instruct my cousin as I walk to the shocked pale one.

He grabs Luke's arms and I grab his legs. He really is covered in gore. Blood dyes his shirt from blue to a bastardized purple and his jeans have red polka dots.

Luke's not that heavy, surprisingly, and we carry him to the desk, setting him on top of it.

"Why are we putting him here?" Dom asks.

"Because..." I grab his shoulder. "You're gonna stay here and cover him."

"What do you mean?" He cocks his eyebrows.

What else could I mean? "Exactly what I said." I turn to Luigi. "It's the seventeenth floor, right?"

"Yeah," Luigi says, gripping the metal pipe some more.

"Alright, Weegee, we're going."

Dom groans as we walk to the elevators.

"Just drag a couple of those chairs in front of the doors," I say as I press the 'up' button on the elevator. The elevator's doors are bloody, too.

I glance behind me to see Dom grabbing hold of a chair to move it. At least he's not causing a scene.

"You seem perfectly fine," Luigi says, the elevator taking its time. "It's disturbing me."

I shrug. He's right, it is a little unsettling that I am. "I guess so."

Luigi starts to look me over, but turns away quickly. I hope he doesn't think I'm insane or sadistic.

The elevator opens and I shoulder the M16. Inside are two people, a guy with black hair and a redheaded chick, both cowering in fear.

"Please don't kill us!" the girl shrieks.

"We'll do anything!" the guy begs.

The elevator's light is flickering and there seems to be blood inside of the lift.

I lower the rifle and extend my left hand to whoever grabs first. The girl does, which is very cliché. Luigi helps the dude to his feet.

"Are either of you bit?" I ask.

The girl's shaking. "N-no..." I look at the guy, who's shaking his head.

Their voices sound a little familiar.

"Were you guys on the seventeenth floor?" Luigi asks. He must recognize them, too. They actually look familiar, come to think of it.

They nod. "Why?"

"We're going up there." I turn around. "Dom! We got some survivors over here!"

"I'm not deaf! She was screeching!" my cousin calls.

"D-Dom?" the girl stutters. Does she know him or something?

Wait, she's someone who came on the trip! For the life of me, I don't know her name. The same with the dude. I do know that he's a senior, though.

"What're your names?" I ask.

"Michelle," the girl says. Her shirt has blood on it.

"Wade," the guy says. Blood also covers his shirt and pants, some of it spattered on his face.

I don't know either of them, regardless. I look at Luigi and he shakes his head, meaning he doesn't personally know them either.

"Dom, do you know either of them?" I look back at him.

"Both," he replies, still not looking up.

"Wait, Dom Collins?" Wade asks. I nod and this Wade guy runs off. "Dom! You're alive!"

That Michelle girl follows suit, but she's limping. My eyes lock-on to her right leg, which is bleeding. She has a small chunk of flesh ripped out of her calf.

"She's infected!" I shout.

Luigi grabs my shoulder. "What're you doing? We find more survivors and you label one as infected?"

Michelle spins around. "I am not! I swear I-" She coughs, blood coming up. She stumbles and coughs more.

Wade turns around mid-stride and grabs her before she can fall on her soon-to-be zombie ass.

"Don't worry, babe," he says worriedly. "You'll be fine."

Great. They're a couple. I unsling the rifle and pull it up. "Get away! She's been bit!"

"No!" Wade insists. "She cut her leg while we were running!"

"A cut doesn't take out a chunk of flesh!"

Luigi holds his arm up as I step forward. "Just wait."

"For what, her to reanimate and bite him?"

"He may be telling the truth. It's only fair that we listen."

"It's only fair that we save his life and end hers! Now move!" I push Luigi's arm away and shoulder the rifle.

The girl's gone limp, so that's not good. She's already dead, then. If I can put a bullet in her head before she reanimates, maybe it'll still work, but that crybaby is still caressing her body.

"Move out of the way!" I shout at Wade.

"She's going to be fine!" he shouts back, sobbing. "Look, she's getting up!"

I grunt angrily and start running forward, the rifle still shouldered. It's uncomfortable to run while aiming a rifle. "She's reanimated!"

Wade's zombie girlfriend rears her head back. This is my window. The trigger and my finger are about to become fast friends, my finger pulling the trigger once more. The muzzle flashes and the bullet flies to meet its target. I just saved this guy's li-

She bites him on the arm, causing him to wail loudly, just before the bullet smacks into her head. Dammit all to hell!

"What the hell? It hurts!" Wade whines then looks towards his dead undead girlfriend. "Oh my god, she's dead! You son of a bitch!"

"Obviously," I say, walking up to him. "You should've just said she was bit."

"But..." he groans, pain likely pulsating from the bite. "You would've just shot her!"

"And I ended up doing just that! Had you said something, you wouldn't be about to die, too!"

"B-but, I don't want to die! She didn't want to either!" Tears are streaming down his face.

Luigi walks up next to me and puts his hand on my shoulder. "You're being a bit too blunt."

"I'm just stating the facts!" I spit back.

"How do you know he'll turn?" Dom asks. "The others died from fatal bite wounds and then reanimated! He was bit on the arm!"

"She was bit on her calf! She came back!" God, what do they not understand?

No one says anything, silence looming all around us.

"Look, your death's inevitable, pal." I lean down next to Wade. "I can let you suffer and turn, or end it now."

"There's got to be some other way!" He must have a thick skull.

"You. Will. Fucking. Die. There's no other way." I really don't want to go through this again. It's so annoying, even after only one time.

"You're a prick," Wade says, spitting in my face.

I wipe away the spit, taking what he said as a compliment. "Look, I really wish I could help you."

"You seem like a total-" he coughs. "-a total douche. Dom, who is this guy?"

"My cousin," Dom says, walking over and leaning down. "There really is no other way, Wade."

Wade's eyes just stay wide. He doesn't say anything or squirm.

"So I'm done?" he finally asks, more tears dropping from his tear ducts.

"About time you understood. I promise you, you'll die a man. But I have a quick question." I stand back up, that way I can shoot when the time comes.

"What's your question, ass?" He coughs some more. I don't know why he's coughing so much. Must be something with this contagion. I guess it's a contagion.

"Is anyone still alive on the seventeenth floor? Anyone else from our group?"

"Group?"

"The high school trip."

Wade shakes his head and coughs again, blood coming up. He was only bit on the arm! What the hell is this virus, contagion, whatever?

"Everyone's dead?" I'm in disbelief.

"That can't be." Luigi's pretty straightforward with his response. Dom just stays quiet.

"Michelle and I... We were the only ones to make it to... the elevator..." His breathing is becoming more labored. He's probably in agony.

"Don't talk. Just... keep still."

I raise the M16's barrel to his head, using only one hand. This would be badass, were it not a mercy killing and were it an action movie. If only it were a movie...

"What... are you doing?" the soon-to-die Wade asks.

"Preventing you from losing your manhood." And I don't mean your balls.

I pull the trigger, the bullet busting through his skull. Blood sprays like it did when I euthanized those two in the bar.

It's silent for a couple minutes, the three of us just standing there.

"What do we do now?" Dom asks finally. "Like, what do we seriously do?"

I walk to the reception desk and hop up on it next to Luke, the M16 slung around my torso. "I don't know. If they're dead, we should just wait until Luke wakes up and clear out."

"But what about our stuff?" Luigi asks. "Shouldn't we at least get it?"

"No. Are some clothes and a few toothbrushes worth possibly dying for? We can just go raid a Wal-Mart or something."

"We could, but we've got guns," Dom says. "We could mow them down."

"Besides, sleep and a shower both sound nice," Luigi adds.

Those do sound good. Maybe we could even establish this as a safe place or something. Yeah, we can totally do that. Dammit, I swayed too easily.

I hop off the counter and grab Luke's legs. "Luigi, arms."

He slides the pipe into his back pocket and takes Luke's arms. "What're we doing with him?"

"Putting him in the elevator." I start moving backwards.

"Jake, why?" Dom asks, running up to my side.

"That way he's not down here unattended. If he stays in the elevator while we clear out a safer area on the seventeenth floor, he won't be in danger."

"What if someone else is alive and ends up calling the elevator? Then what?"

I push the 'up' button with my elbow. "I never said we were keeping him in there the whole time."

The elevator doors open and we all get into the lift, Luke being suspended in the air by Luigi and myself.

Dom pushes the button labeled **17 **and we begin our ascension. If it were floor one-fifteen, which isn't possible anyway, I'd be a little suspicious of any little German girls.

I drop Luke's legs and Luigi follows suit with his arms. There is a very tangible amount of tension in the cramped space.

"What's the plan, then?" Luigi asks.

"I'll take point," I say, unslinging the M16 and flicking its fire selector to full-auto. "You two hold onto Luke and stay behind me."

"Jesus," Luigi groans, picking up Luke's arms yet again.

"At least we're not carrying you," Dom jests as he picks up Luke's legs. Luigi isn't fazed by Dom's subtle insult.

One would think Luigi is actually a Mario, since he's chubby. In fact, he's a morph of Mario and Luigi: tall, chubby, and Italian, or at least of Italian descent. Sadly, he doesn't plumb for fun.

I step in front of the elevator doors and grip the M16 tightly. This could be a deathtrap, it really could. Luigi and Dom better hope we don't die, else there'll be hell to pay if there's an afterlife that isn't zombification.

"Hey, Dom," I say, my head immobile.

"Huh?"

"How'd you know those two?"

"Michelle and Wade?" I nod. "Wade was a runningback on the football team. Michelle-"

"His girlfriend," Luigi cuts in. Luigi should've known them, since he is in the band.

"Yeah." Dom doesn't really sound too fazed by their deaths.

I'm not going to bring it up. I've euthanized three people already, so they both probably think I'm turning into a sociopath. They would, even though I'm not actually murdering anyone that isn't a zombie.

My eyes shoot up to the floor indicator, which has **16** lit up. I back up a little to raise the rifle some more.

"Remember," I say. "Stay back."

The **17** lights up and the doors slide open. Show time.

In the hallway directly in front of the elevator, several zombies are milling about. I start walking forward and raise the M16 completely and squeeze the trigger. The rifle's recoil still needs some getting used to.

I fire in an arc, mowing down four zombies. I aim for the other three's heads individually and pull the trigger three times.

Damn, this place is a mess just like the lobby. Brain matter, skull fragments, blood... It's everywhere.

Taking a gander around the hall, it seems that it's actually less bloody than the lobby, but is that an arm? There's a dismembered arm on the floor. That's not remotely normal, obviously. No, I see dismembered arms all the time, and I even have a few on my wall!

...

That's a disturbing thought, no matter how sarcastic.

I motion for the other two to follow me, though I want to say 'Tangos eliminated.'

I continue forward, checking the two hallways that are divided by a sort of fork. One seems clear, but the other has blood on the farthest wall that I can see.

"Drop Luke." They lower him to the ground. "Weegee, stay here with Luke. Dom, you're with me."

They both nod and slide their weapons out. Luigi lightly tosses the metal pipe up into the air and Dom flicks the safety of the Beretta off.

I start heading down the 'not clear' hall, Dom right behind me. This blood's drying up and it's itchy. A shower would definitely be nice.

The hallway ends in a little common area or something. The lights aren't flickering, giving us a clear view of what we're up against: dead, dead, and more dead. Some are looking right at us, but they're making no moves to get us. How odd.

The groups surrounding the outdoor speakers and the phone in the lobby come to mind, giving me an idea.

I motion for Dom to move back down the hall some. He shrugs, as if to ask why, but I start walking, regardless. He follows reluctantly.

"What are you planning?" he asks quietly when we get back far enough.

"I'm gonna try something, hold on."

I need something to throw, something like...

That arm. That arm can be thrown. It's not the most practical thing, nor is it not disgusting, but it's my only choice right now.

I dash back to the arm, nod to Luigi, grab it, and dash back to Dom. It's revolting, picking up the limb of a human being. It's just so... Ick.

"That's disgusting!" Dom says as I pass him.

"I know, but do you have a better idea?" I look back to see him shake his head.

I creep up to the room with all the walking meatsacks once more, weighing the arm, which is actually a forearm and hand, in my hand. I should be much more disgusted than I am about the bone sticking out of the meat, I really should.

The open room has several doorways and goes on for about twenty yards. Maybe ten. Measurements have never been my thing. The zombies seem to be concentrated mainly around the doorway second-closest to me, so I'll lob this piece of meat at the doorway farthest from me.

I weigh the forearm in my hand once more and put my hand behind my head. I've got to make sure I don't smack a zombie with this and hit near the doorway.

I aim the makeshift decoy at the doorway and toss, putting a reasonable amount of force into the throw. I watch the piece of human meat arc above the zombies and smack on the wall next to the doorway.

I don't know what's going to happen. Hopefully I'm right.

The zombies all turn to face the source of the meaty thud and some start shambling towards it. So they react to sound...

Well, they're all in a crowd, so I guess I could start busting caps in their asses. Since headshots are more lethal, I hope they have their heads up their asses.

I start pulling the trigger, basically firing blindly into the zombie mass. Another series of gunshots ring out next to me, meaning that my lovely cousin just showed up.

Sorry for not getting you up here beforehand.

Within about ten seconds, all of the zombies are either in a dead orgy in front of that doorway or just scattered about on the floor. The doorway next to the pile of corpses is spattered with blood and peppered with bullet holes.

"Just couldn't have got me, huh?" Dom says accusingly.

"There were too many, more than we saw at first. I didn't want you to piss your pants," I joke.

That earns me a chuckle. "Sure, Jake. Now, what the hell were you trying to achieve with that hand?"

I clear my throat and hit the M16's mag release. "I now know that the zombies have at least two senses still intact." Thirteen rounds left, not bad.

"Which are?"

"Touch, obviously, and hearing." I slide the magazine back into the rifle.

Dom just nods and we continue going through the room. All of the doors are open, meaning the zombies should've all been out here. There may be some left in the rooms, though.

"Check the left side, I'll check the right," Dom says. He had the same idea as me. Great minds think alike.

He goes off to the right side and I walk to the left. Our rooms are further down, so we still have a ways to go. I crack my neck, ready for action at any time. The first room is clear, nothing of interest inside besides an uneaten glazed doughnut on a table. Guess whose belly that thing's going into now.

I pick it up and walk out, progressing to the second room. This doughnut's pretty good. The second room has some flowers in it and a black suit hanging up. I'll be back to this room.

I pop into the third room and get a surprising sight. It has a zombie in it, but it's wriggling about on the floor, unable to get up. It's kind of funny, but I contain my laughter. I walk over to the zombie and raise my foot, only to curb stomp the zombie's face into next week.

I walk out of that room and turn to the fourth. There's only one more to go after this. Inside is... nothing special besides a baseball bat. Damn, why isn't there anything remotely useful?

Wait, that bat I can use. I flick the safety on and sling the M16, walking further into the room to nab the bat. It's a metal bat and it weighs nicely. This grip's really good, too. I can guess this is an almost brand-new bat.

Whoever this belonged to, I thank you. I'll probably give it to Luke or Luigi later, but I might as well test it out.

I walk out of that room and into the last room. Two zombies, male and female, are slowly shuffling towards the door, apparently just getting the memo that shots were fired. They need to upgrade their browser from Internet Explorer to... something else.

What's nasty is these zombies are naked, the dude's junk just... swaying. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that their clothes were stolen by a kangaroo.

I grin devilishly and twist the bat in my grip, hunching over a little. This is gonna be interesting.

I run towards the zombie on the right, the dude, and swing upwards. The bat pulverizes the zombie's gonads, blood and some other liquids spraying out. I retract the bat and bring it down on his head, crushing the skull.

That was far more disgusting than it was originally.

The female zombie lunges at me, but I sidestep, causing her to fall. I could curb stomp her skull, but I'd rather use this bat. I lower the bat to my side and hold it like a golf club. I wind up and swing, decapitating the zombie and sending its skull into the ceiling. A short burst of blood sprays out from the head and then starts to pool from the neck.

That was disturbingly fun.

I walk back out into the hall and bump right into Dom. At least I don't have to wait or search for him.

"Should we head further down?" he asks.

"You go, I'll help Luigi carry Luke up here."

Dom nods and I walk back down the hall. This could be much easier if Luke was conscious, but he just has to be lazy. Just has to pass out to avoid doing a damn thing.

"Hey Weegee," I call when I reach the area in front of the elevator, but he's not here, nor is Luke. "Where the hell are they?"

I doubt Luigi could carry Luke alone, unless he dragged him. I grip the baseball bat again and head down the hallway I deigned 'clear' earlier, since Dom should be fine. I need to find these two.

This hallway is clean, something I like compared to the bloody décor of the lobby and the other hallway. The big room with ten doorways is... Empty. Our rooms are in the next series of rooms down, so maybe they're down there. All of the rooms' doors are open, so I peek into each room as I walk down. Nothing. They must've all went in front of the elevator or in that other open space Dom and I were in.

I just realized, did I kill any former classmates? I must have. I killed that Wade guy and his zombie girlfriend, but I didn't know him or her. The mass of zombies over in the 'not clear' path had to have had some of my former classmates. Not like it matters, I didn't like most of them anyway. Most of them were snobs and asses. A couple, besides Dom, Luke, and Luigi, were alright.

I'm near the end of these rooms, and I haven't seen anything unusual so far. Open door, closed door, open do-

Closed door? I walk back to it and press my ear up against the wooden object. I think that's sobbing. And footsteps. Rapid footsteps.

Wade, you were full of shit. Calling me a prick...

I slowly open the door, trying not to be too loud. I peek inside and see a girl, about my age and of fair complexion, running around the room. What's she running for?

Another body mass slowly makes its way towards her, this one gray and decaying. She's been running from a zombie the whole time?

"Get back!" she commands, though her authority is wavering with the sobs in between. I don't recognize her voice, either.

She's cornered herself, dammit! I push the door completely open and run at the zombie, bat in the air.

I make an unnecessary battle cry of sorts before whacking the undead bastard in the skull. The M16 smacks off of my back, which surprisingly isn't too uncomfortable.

Its skull dents in and it falls to the ground. This zombie must have been a busboy, given his current attire. I'm just curious as to how a busboy got into this room.

The girl, pressed up on the wall, slides down it and sobs. "You-you're not going t-t-to k-kill me, are you?"

I hold out my hand. "So long as you weren't bit, you're staying alive."

She looks up and nods. She's a pretty girl, her brown hair all messed up. That's not really pretty, I guess, but she is attractive.

She grabs my hand and I pull, bringing her up to her feet. "What's your name?" I ask.

"I-I'm Kiera... Kiera Ramirez."

Ramirez, take out that AC-130 with a throwing knife!

"I'm Jake Collins." I lower the bat. "Would you mind telling me why you were stuck in there with a zombie?"

"They're zombies?" She's out of the loop.

"The groaning, shuffling, blood coming from their mouths, and gray skin didn't give it away?

She shakes her head and wipes away some tears. "I wasn't paying attention."

"No matter. Anyway, I'm gonna go get my friends who wandered off. You can follow me if you want, but-"

"Yeah, I'll go!"

Damn, she's eager. "Okay, just stay behind me."

We leave the room and continue down the hall. For some reason, I can't help but think... dirty things. It's the end of the world, I'm with an attractive girl, things go from there...

I have issues.

"So, you didn't get bit?" I ask, needing reassurance. I look at her and her eyes are red from crying. At least she's not wearing makeup.

She shakes her head. "I ran from him the whole time."

"Second best thing to do."

She tilts her head and cocks an eyebrow. "What's the best thing to do?"

"Kill 'em."

She seems a little disturbed by my response, but what can I do?

"Ew." Typical girl.

"What?" I turn around to face her.

"You're covered in blood..."

"Yeah. I've killed quite a bit of zombies in this hotel." And a couple people, but that's not the point.

The next series of rooms comes up and right in front of a door are Luke and Luigi.

"Hey," I say, not raising my volume.

They look up and their eyes widen. "Jake!" Their eyes then hover over Kiera.

"Baka." I shake my head at them and walk forward some more. "You two act like you've never seen a girl before."

Kiera giggles. At least she's not in shock or something.

I hear rapid footsteps coming from behind Luke and Luigi. We all hear them, actually, and look back to see what it is.

"Hold this for a second." I hand the bat to Kiera and unsling the M16 quickly, pulling it up to my shoulder. I'm not gonna flick the safety off yet. Yet.

The steps get louder and a person appears. That person is Dom and he's breathing heavily. I resling the rifle and hold my hand out for the bat. Kiera hands it back almost immediately. She must be uneasy around blood.

"Jake, where'd you go?" He then notices Kiera. "Who is that?"

"A survivor." I walk forward some more and Kiera follows behind. "I went to get him," I point at Luigi, "but he wasn't there. Nor was the Pale One."

"She's not bit, is- never mind, stupid question. That side," he points to where he came from, "is completely clear."

"As is the rest of the floor, then."

"So, should we start to clean up, or...?" Luigi asks.

"Sure, why not? Dibs on first shower." I run towards my room.

"You don't need to call it! AND NO ONE SAYS 'DIBS' ANYMORE!" Luigi shouts. He's just jealous that he can't say 'dibs.'

Wait, I don't think we even checked these rooms for zombies.

"Guys, check the rooms first," I say.

"Already did," Luke replies monotonously. I'm surprised he's the one who answered. "Everything's clear."

Huh. That's good. I turn to the newest member of our group and nod to a room that seems to be in disuse.

"Use that room for now," I say. Kiera nods and walks to it. She's quiet, but I can't really blame her. Even though I saved her life, we're still just strangers. Her family may be dead and she's worried about that. I would be too, if the area where my family is wasn't secure.

I walk to my room and open the door, entering the vacant dwelling. That's the thing, though. People's families _will_ die. It doesn't matter how much we try to change that, we can't save everyone. We're not special forces. Like the people in this hotel, for example. For them, this hotel was Hotel California. They could check in, but weren't able to leave.

I walk into the bathroom and turn on the shower. I strip down to nothing and step in.

It's a harsh reality, one that I'm adjusting to a little too easily.

* * *

**Meanwhile, somewhere in Tokonosu City, Japan...**

* * *

A zombie grabbed hold of Takashi, surprising him. He was struggling with the zombie.

_This damn thing!_ Takashi angrily thought. _It's too strong!_

The zombie reared its head back and thrust forward, smacking its helmet into Takashi's head. Takashi groaned in pain and started wondering where Rei went. She was right next to him not even a minute ago.

Takashi pushed his hand forward and gripped the helmet's face-shield, trying to keep the zombie's head away. The zombie was just too strong, and Takashi was having a little bit of trouble keeping it away. _This damn sack of shit won't give up! _

_THUD!_

The zombie suddenly stopped trying to get closer to Takashi, much to his surprise. The corpse rolled off of him, revealing Rei holding a cinderblock. _Thank god._

Takashi sat up, breathing heavily. The zombies are much stronger than he thought. _Note to self: don't try getting into a fist fight with a zombie.  
_

Takashi looked up, Rei's hand outstretched to him. The wind was blowing, making her hair flow about. "Takashi," Rei said. "Let's go."

Takashi took her hand and she helped him to his feet. Rei supported Takashi as they started walking. Smoke rose from the buildings in the distance. Takashi was surprised that civilization could deteriorate so quickly.

"Are we going to walk to the city?" Rei asked, eagerness not present in her voice.

"If there's no other way," Takashi replied, not really eager on walking all the way into the city either. _Unless... _"No, wait. He was wearing a helmet."

The two approached a small hill, a traffic light below. Rei gasped. On the hill was a motorcycle. Takashi broke from Rei's support and walked down the hill, picking the bike up and rolling it onto the road. The key was still in the ignition, so he hopped on and twisted the key. The bike's engine roared to life and he revved it.

Rei just looked on, somewhat concerned. "Do you even have a license?" she asked.

"Getting a ticket is the least of our problems," Takashi said, turning around to face Rei. "What're you waiting for? Get on."

Rei hopped on and Takashi took off. Rei held onto the tail of the bike while Takashi drove. They had a meeting to get to, and their detour was one hell of a ride.

* * *

**AN: I have nothing to really say. I'm not ashamed of how dialogue heavy it was.  
****Anyway, review if you want, same with fav/following.  
I blame my iPod for any spelling errors, as well as the school computer.  
I actually wanted to say something, but I forget.**


	3. Convenience of the Dead

Chapter Three: Convenience of the Dead

Damn, that shower felt good last night. My hair was wet when I hit the sack, and now it's sticking up every-which-way. I don't really care, since I don't think appearances matter now, but I'm still gonna comb it. It'll just get annoying. One of the first things I'm gonna do is get a haircut.

I spit out the toothpaste in my mouth and pick up the cup of water. Swishing some water around in my mouth, I spit that out, too. I can't imagine what it'd be like without toothpaste. I hold the brush under the faucet and rinse it off.

We're gonna hold out here, I guess. Maybe I should raid a gift shop and get a "Home Sweet Home" sign. Put it right in the lobby with all of the happy corpses.

That oughta go down well.

After I wet my hair and run the comb through it, I step out into the actual room and take a look around. My clothes from yesterday are all bloody and I don't really want to wear them. There was that suit on the other side of the floor...

Screw it, I'm getting it. In my boxers. With a girl around...

I didn't even check her for bites. I just asked. Dammit, I'm stupid. Well, if she did turn, she ought to be in that room. Since it's ten, I should be good. The others are probably still asleep. I can last with only a few hours of sleep, though Luke and Dom sleep like cats. Luigi's a moderate sleeper and I have no clue about Kiera's sleeping habits. It'd be weird if I did, anyway.

I slip on my shoes and open the door slowly, checking to see if the coast is clear. It seems to be, so I walk out. All I need to do is make a circle in either direction and I'll be in that room. I start creeping to my right, away from the series of rooms I found Kiera in. I never did like the way this hotel was set up.

I don't know why I'm creeping, since there's no point. I could just run. Forget it, I'll run when I get into the hallway, which I'm almost out of. Just a little mo-

"Hehehe..."

Snickering, and it's girly. Either it's Luigi or the new girl. It really could be Luigi. I'm not ruling that possibility out.

The snickering turns into full blown laughter. Dammit, I should've at least put pants on. I turn my head to see Kiera laughing her ass off. I breathe a sigh of relief that she's still alive... and in a bra and panties...

"You're in your underwear, too!" I say. I don't think our relationship is at a point where it's okay to see each other in our undergarments.

She can't stop laughing. "Yeah, hehe, but I'm not sneaking around in them."

No, you're right. You're just standing here in the middle of the floor, boobs bouncing in front of a basically naked guy. Totally not weird.

Even worse is the fact that I didn't notice her at first.

"You're not in your room, so you're basically sneaking around, too!"

She grins. "There's a difference between sneaking around and watching someone sneak."

I groan. I don't have time for this. "Whatever, I'm actually going to get clothes. So," I turn my head around and start walking, "I'll be off."

"Wait!" I turn my head back around, making sure to not completely turn my body around. Oh, the inconveniences of adolescence.

"What?" I really would like some pants right about now.

"Can I go with you?"

"To get clothes? In our underwear?" I stare at her, confused. "You have clothes!" Besides, there are dead zombies piled high over there, but I won't mention that just yet.

"Yeah, but I want to go for a walk..." She crosses her arms - which may or may not be resulting in an arousing sight - and gives me puppy-dog eyes. No, not the... Dammit.

"Fine, just get some clothes on. And some shoes." I really don't want this to be anymore awkward than it already is. I really don't.

She nods and goes back into her room. I actually think that room belonged to one of the girls on the trip, but I don't know. We barely stayed in the hotel.

To keep the awkward level low, I walk back to my room and snatch a pair of sweatpants out of my bag. I pull them on without taking my shoes off. Thank goodness these sweatpants are stretchy.

I grab the baseball bat before I walk out. There aren't supposed to be any zombies left, but you never know.

Kiera hasn't come out of her room yet, so I figure I should just wait here. She doesn't seem to care about awkwardness, which is a little weird to me. I don't personally care about how awkward I am, but the fact that she wanted to walk with me, in her underwear, was just... No. I'm not saying I wouldn't have liked it, because I know I would've, but there's a certain level of decency I try to maintain with strangers.

I just hope she's not going to be clingy to me for saving her life. That's a cliché I used to dream of, me saving some girl and she falls in love with me or something, but now it just isn't appealing.

Her door opens and she walks out. She's wearing a flannel shirt a size or two too big and jeans that seem to fit. She has sneakers on as well.

"What happened to your starkness?" she asks, taking note of my sweatpants. "It was appealing."

Please be joking. "I like to maintain a degree of decency with strangers."

She frowns. "Someone's not being fun."

"Yeah, fun in our underwear is definitely decent." Why did I have to save a girl who now wants me to run around in my underwear?

"Could be." She shrugs.

I start walking and she follows behind me. This girl is something of an enigma. That or really perverse.

...

Might as well make conversation.

"So, tell me, Kiera. Why are you here?"

"My dad," she says, not sounding down at all. "He was here on business. He's a lawyer, so he had me stay here. He likely got evacuated by the National Guard or something." She shrugs. "Why? Why are you here?"

"Just curious. As for me and those other three... We all came here on a field trip of sorts, all the way from Pennsylvania."

"What happened to the rest of your classmates?"

"They weren't really classmates. I didn't really know most of them except those three." I sigh, lazily swinging the bat. "They're all dead now, unless they got to another floor."

She gasps. "That's horrible! How aren't you sad?"

"It's not really that sad when you don't know them. You can know of them or about them, but when you don't truly know them... Shit doesn't matter. They're just another obstacle in survival."

"I guess you can look at it that way. I mean- oh god! What's with all these bodies?!"

I was so busy thinking of what to say, I stopped paying attention of where we were. Damn!

"Me and my cousin killed them," I say. "Didn't you hear gunfire last night?"

She nods, a little disgusted with all the bodies and blood. "That was you?"

And Dom. "Yep."

We walk a little bit, though I'm peering into the doorways. The second doorway I peer into is my goal.

"This one," I say, walking in, closing, and locking the door.

"Let me in!" Kiera calls, knocking on the door. "I don't like it out here!"

"Gonna have to make do. I'm getting changed."

She knocks on the door some more but quits. "I can play this game, too!"

Yeah, go lock yourself in a room, genius. I shake my head. I really, really hope she's just flirty or weird, not clingy.

That suit's hanging up on the ceiling fan for some reason. No matter, I'll just take it down.

Jumping up on the bed, I reach for the plastic. My hand curls around the protective cover and I lift my arm, unhooking the hangar from the fan blade.

Success.

I hop off of the bed, kick off my shoes, and slide out of the sweatpants. Pulling out the suit and pants, I set them on the bed. Pants first, so I pick them up and slide my legs through them. They're a snug fit, so belts aren't needed. Thank god, because belts can get uncomfortable if the pants you're using them on are too big. Next would come the jacket and tie, but I need a shirt.

My eyes wander towards the dresser. Maybe there's one in one of those drawers. I walk to the drawers and pull them open, one by one. Nope, nope, don't want to know what that's for, nope... Yes!

I pull out a white business shirt and pull it over my head. The shirt isn't uncomfortable, so that's a good thing. I shouldn't complain even if it was, I'm the idiot who wants to wear a suit in the zombie apocalypse.

I pull the jacket on and quickly tie the red tie. There were socks in one of the drawers, so I snatch those up and slip them on, then pull my sneakers back on. I feel stupid, but dapper. More stupid than anything. The bat meets my hand again.

I walk to the door, unlock it, and open it. Her reaction should be interesting, hell, it may even be hilarious.

"Okay, I'm done." I look around, but Kiera's nowhere in sight. "Where did you go?"

"I'm right here," she says, her muffled voice coming from one of the vacant rooms.

She really locked herself in a room. Jesus...

I walk to the closed door and knock. "We can go back now."

"I'm not finished yet!"

I sigh and lean on the wall. I hope she doesn't think I'm going to feel uncomfortable around all these corpses. Granted, it really is disturbing, but I just don't feel uncomfortable. They're dead, and the dead release their bowels and decompose, which means there is a bit of a stench. That's really the only uncomfortable part about it. Come to think of it, we oughta dump these bodies somewhere, keep it from stinking up. Maybe out the window? That could work. But then there're the bodies in the lobby...

I sigh. What is taking her so long? What could she possibly be doing?

I've got an idea. I knock on the door. "Hey, I'm gonna head back now."

"What? No, you can't!"

"Yeah I can. I'll catch you back there."

Right on cue are her rapid footsteps and the door opening. Her hair's slightly messed up again. I don't know how, since she's still wearing the same clothes. Must be a girl thing, I don't know.

"You weren't really going, were you?" she asks, noticing my grin.

"Now I am. Come on, I'm not about to get uncomfortable by just standing near these bodies. Disgusted, maybe, but not uncomfortable." I start walking away.

"Ain't those the same thing?"

"They could be, but it depends on how you look at it. Were those bodies not to stink, I'd be fine. However, they stink. The stench is disgusting, so I'm disgusted."

"That still means you're uncomfortable."

"Ah, but only with the stench."

"That's disturbing."

Tell me about it. When your conscious is screaming at you, telling you something's wrong with you, and you know it to be true... There's an issue.

I twirl the bat in my hand. What do we do now? We've got two parts of this hotel secure, but we don't have food or any idea of what to do next. At least I don't know what to do next. I was sort of calling the shots last night. I doubt Dom or Luke can come up with something, so maybe Luigi'll think of something.

"Why're you wearing a suit?" Kiera asks.

I snap out of my thoughts and turn my head to her.

"A better question is, 'why aren't you?'" I'm quite talented with comebacks.

She shakes her head and we reenter the little hub - I guess you could call it that - where our rooms are. I start towards my door and open it. I walk in and flop on the bed for no particular reason.

My bed shifts with added weight, causing me to look to my left. Here Kiera is, flopping down on my bed, too. I'm not even gonna say anything, I'm too comfortable. If I were to say something, I'd get restless and get up.

She's not even looking at me, just the ceiling. Her hair is splayed on my bed, and I'm not gonna lie, she looks hot like this. That's not to say she wasn't already attractive, but whatever. I blame adolescence.

"Are you guys a group?" she asks, eliminating the silence that was just around us. I kinda thought that was obvious, though.

"Yeah, why?"

She starts twirling her hair, still looking at the ceiling. "Have room for one more?"

She really wants to join our group? If this were a JRPG, there'd be a little notification box asking if I want to let her join.

I honestly have no clue what to say. I don't want her to think she's a liability if I say no, but I don't want her to _become _one if I say yes. Goddammit, I don't like being the de facto leader.

"You seemed uneasy with those bodies earlier," I say, figuring out a way to decide what to say. "Are you disturbed by killing them?"

She exhales. "A little. I don't like the sight of blood."

"You know that if you become part of our little group, you'll have to kill them. Blood's gonna be pretty common, the lobby being a prime example."

"Why the lobby?"

"Blood is everywhere. The ceiling, the furniture, the floor... It's a mess."

"I mean..." She exhales again, this time more heavily. "I guess I can try to get over it..."

"Look." I sit up. "If you don't want to-"

"No!" She shoots up. "I'll do it! Give me something and I'll go whack one right now!"

I cock my eyebrows. This girl confuses me. Last night, she was crying and quiet when I saved her, then she was getting all flirty with me several minutes ago, and now she wants to start clobbering the undead. I rub my eyes and sigh.

"I believe you, alright? I have no issue with you tagging along, but like I said, you'll have to kill something eventually. Eventually. You don't need to kill any right now. It's not like you need to prove yourself, this isn't a cult or fraternity or some shit like that."

Then again, if it was a fraternity, no girls would be allowed.

"You're really okay with me joining you guys?" She seems a little wary.

"Yeah, I'm sure the guys'll be fine with it, too." Obviously they will. Luigi will just be that guy who's fine with it regardless, Luke won't mind - actually, he'd enjoy - the extra company, and Dom... he'll just be glad it's no longer a sausagefest.

I can't help but stare at the television in the room. Every room has one, no shock there, but I'm curious to see how this whole outbreak is being taken care of. My arm shoots out towards the nightstand, the remote being lifted like it was sucked into a tractor beam by my hand. I aim the remote at the TV and push the power button.

The television is an older standard-definition model, maybe twenty-two inches diagonal, and it comes to life with that little _pop_ sound typical of SDTVs.

I'm going to safely assume that all stations are broadcasting coverage of the end of the civilized world. I'm going to assume I'm right, since there's a newscast on now.

"...the Chinese government has issued a state of disaster, as Beijing's collapse was followed by Shanghai and Guangzhou's collective collapse. The People's Liberation Army has suffered heavy casualties after only twenty-four hours, with its Chairman requesting foreign aid..."

The mightiest military on the planet my ass. Numbers don't replace skill, and, were it up to me, I wouldn't send aid to them anyway.

"...Chinese soldiers have also been given orders to kill anyone suspected of being infected on sight..."

That has to be one of China's better ideas. Still don't like 'em one bit, though.

"This isn't just a local incident?" Kiera asks.

How does she not know? It's been qui- oh. I forgot, she was in that room, running from the busboy. I shouldn't be surprised that she doesn't know.

"It's the entire world, bar a couple places," I reply.

"Such as?"

"The U.K., for one. They somehow have it all under control."

Kiera looks shocked. She really shouldn't be, especially not abo-

"Hey Jake, whatcha- WOAH!" I look over and see Luigi standing in the doorway, his eyes wide. He's wearing a shirt and jeans. "That was quick, Jake. Couldn't have done this a few months ago?"

I groan and roll my eyes. That's what she was surprised about. "Du bist ein dummkopf."

Luigi shrugs and walks in, sitting down next to Kiera. "So, what's up?"

"Not China."

"I bet you're happy about that, huh?"

I give a sideways nod. I have an unexplainable hatred for China, but I think their downfall could've happened under more... lively circumstances.

"...Australia has, much like Britain, maintained order amidst the apocalypse..."

"Good for them," I say. "I hope they can sip on tea in the outback, but I want to know about the homefront."

"Hey, nice suit," Luigi irrelevantly comments. "Are you just now planning on going to junior-senior? That was back in November, y'know."

"No, how could I forget? Everyone wanted me to go."

"And why didn't you?" Kiera butts in.

Well, I didn't expect this. I probably should have, but I can't plan for everything. I don't know how to respond.

"No money." The words quickly come out of my mouth.

"_And_ no date," Luigi adds.

"Oh, fuck off."

Kiera chuckles at the two of us. I'm glad someone found humour in that.

"Back to the fight here at home," the newswoman says, causing me to turn my attention back to the TV. "Marine and Army squads have been deployed across the nation to assist National Guardsmen in securing locations. Airports on the east and west coasts are rumored to be top priority targets. The government and military both urge that no one leaves their homes, even if you're armed..."

I pick up the remote and turn off the television. Urging us to be sitting ducks. Hah! Not gonna happen.

"Why'd you turn it off?" Kiera asks.

"Because, nothing's really changed."

"It's only been one day," Luigi interjects. "Give it another day or two, maybe we'll see some progress being made then."

I laugh and stand up. "Sure we will."

He does have a point, though. I shouldn't be under the pretense that the military'll have the situation completely under control just yet. China's a lost cause, though. Maybe North Korea will be next. Actually, they'll probably try to launch a nuke to either attack America for "causing" the pandemic or wipe out an infestation.

Regardless of what they do, I predict them blowing themselves up.

"What, do you plan on going to a meeting with the undead leader to discuss a cease-fire?" Luigi sounds pretty serious as he stands up. Kiera's all alone on my bed, but she probably isn't about to start complaining. It's pretty comfy.

That was a little clever of Luigi, though, and I laugh. "No. I was actually going to ask you if you had an idea of what we should do next."

He scratches his chin in thought. "We should get some food. These mini-fridges probably don't have anything in them."

"We could have Luke and Dom look through all of them while we go out for more," I suggest.

"That sounds good. Dom needs to give me his gun, though."

"Yeah, definitely." Dom's just gonna be standing around here anyway.

"Ahem." My head turns for me to see Kiera clearing her throat. "What about me?"

Scheiße. She's looking at me, waiting for an answer. Luigi looks at me expectantly, too. I didn't think about what she could do, but it'd be safest if she stayed here. That's definitely the safest option for her, but I don't get the feeling she'll like it.

"Um, well... You could stay here, I guess." She's glaring at me now. I just knew it was a bad idea to mention it. "But you're gonna insist on going with us, huh?"

The glare seems to fade just a bit. "You're damn right I'm gonna go."

She's got spunk. I like that. I nod and motion to Luigi to get the other two up. Their reactions are gonna be interesting, to say the least.

More importantly, what's she gonna use to defend herself? ... Ah-hah! I've got it figured out.

But in the meantime...

"How do you think your dad's doing?" I ask. I assume he's still in the state of Washington, so he probably won't be safe.

"He's fine," she replies, a small smile on her face and what I'm going to describe as venom in her voice. "I think he's doing just fine."

The way she's saying that isn't reassuring at all. Not one bit of reassurance is reaching me.

"Yeah," I nervously say. "He's probably just fine..."

This girl must have fucking bipolar, a split-personality, and no sense of decency. Yet I'm okay with this? Again, I have issues.

"What about your family?" Her voice now has a much lighter tone.

"They should be fine. We live in southwestern Pennsylvania and the National Guard supposedly has that entire area secure, despite all of the forestry. There seriously could be walking corpses in the woods behind my house or Dom's. Luigi and Luke both live in the city, so they really have nothing to worry about."

"You don't sound too concerned, though."

"That's because my dad's a Marine and he's not on leave. Dom and his dad hunt, so there're some hunting rifles in his house..."

"What about hunting?" Dom walks into the room. Since his hair's short, he doesn't have to brush or comb it. He looks at me, his eyebrows raised. "Why do you get to look dapper?"

"Because I can." I clear my throat. "Besides, that's not important. Where's Luke?"

"Right here," Luke says, waltzing into the room. He doesn't have a shirt on, and the light reflecting off of his pale chest is blinding. "Nice suit."

"Thanks."

"Now, what do you want? I was having a nice dream," Dom bitches.

"Luigi, Kiera, and I are going out to look for food and other things. Meanwhile, we want you and Luke to search all of the mini-fridges on the floor for food and bring everything here."

"No complaints here," Luke says. He doesn't need to face certain death, so he's fine.

"What if I want to go with?" Dom asks and points at Kiera. "She can stay and-"

"Like hell!" Kiera shouts. "Just because I'm a girl, you think I can't do shit?"

"I never said that," Dom spits.

"Both of you calm down," Luigi interjects before looking at me. "Jake, what's she gonna use?"

"I have a name!" Kiera says angrily.

"We know, Kiera. Anyway, Dom," I say, causing my cousin to look at me and cock his eyebrows. "I need your M9 and the ammo. You don't need it right now."

He nods and runs back to his room. He still doesn't seem too happy about having to do a safer job than what we are.

"You want me to start looking now?" Luke asks.

Luigi nods, but I shake my head. "You can wait a bit."

"Why? He's lazy enough!" Luigi complains.

"Oh shut up."

"Yeah, callate yo self," Luke adds.

Footsteps sound out in the hall and Dom comes back into my room, tossing the M9 to me. I barely catch it and set it on my bed.

"Don't throw the gun, dumbass!" I scold.

Dom shrugs, walks forward, and hands me the four magazines. "Sorry," is all he says.

The damn thing could have went off, he knows this! I grunt and pick the M9 up off of the bed. Safety's on, but that's not the point. We aren't in a situation necessitating the throwing of guns.

"Whatchu planning, anyway?" Luigi asks as I hit the mag release.

"Just hold on. Luke, Dom... You guys can start now."

They walk out, Dom grumbling a little. There are two rounds left in the magazine, maybe one in the chamber...

I slide one of the full magazines into the gun and hold it out to Kiera.

"You want me to take this?" she asks.

"No, I want you to look at it," I sarcastically say. Being sarcastic is a bad habit of mine. "Yeah, take it!"

"But I don't know how to shoot a gun!"

Pull the trigger, maybe? Luigi rolls his eyes and takes a seat on my bed. I can just tell he's hoping I don't take long.

"Would you be more comfortable hitting them with that?" I point at the baseball bat.

She shakes her head and I raise the M9, pointing at the trigger.

"Okay, then. Obviously, you pull this to shoot." I point at the safety next. "Keep this on..." I flick it off and then back on. "...just like this, unless you're going to fire, then you flick it off." I turn the safety off, but I flick it back on after a second.

"Flick it off when I want to shoot, keep it on otherwise..." Kiera's nodding as she speaks.

"This..." I point at the magazine release. "...is the mag release. When you go to reload, you hit this." I hit the release and the magazine slides out. "The magazine will pop out, which is preferably empty. If you can, keep these in your pockets." My hand smacks the magazine back in. "Slide a fresh magazine in, and if you ran out of ammo, like you were pulling the trigger and nothing was happening, pull the slide back after you slap a new mag in." I point at the slide, then look at her. "You get all that?"

She nods nervously. "I-I think so."

Better than nothing. "Weegee, get your pipe and then we'll head out."

He nods and walls out to grab his rather effective clobbering tool. I walk to the opposite side of my bed and pick up the M16, slinging it across my body. It's slightly uncomfortable. The magazines move from the nightstand into the slacks' pockets and my hand clasps the baseball bat's grip.

I take a glance at Kiera, who's looking over the M9 with her lips pursed. It seems that she's really trying hard to not forget what to do. I put my hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump a little.

"Don't worry," I say with a grin. I hope I'm being reassuring. "You'll be fine."

Kiera stares at me for a second and then nods with a nervous laugh. "Yeah, maybe you're right."

Luigi knocks on the door, signaling he's ready to go.

I nod to him and hand Kiera the M9 magazines. "C'mon, we've got some shopping to do."

The three of us walk to the elevators, Kiera likely being disgusted by the bodies strewn about. Luigi taps the down button for the elevator and the doors open, the flickering lights illuminating a human shape.

A groan emanates from the shape, which isn't good at all. How'd a zombie get in here? I raise the bat at an angle and swing, smacking the zombie's skull into one of the elevator's rails. Blood splats on the wall and slowly slides down.

I motion for the other two to get in. Kiera's holding her mouth, as if she's about to puke, but they step inside, regardless. I press the "G" button and the elevator begins its descent.

"Luigi, you want the M16?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "I trust you with that more than I do myself."

I look up at the floor indicator. Fourteenth floor... I wonder if anyone else has tried taking shelter in here. They might have, but they probably are all in the lobby. That's not going to be a pleasant sight for our newest group member, given the fact she hates the sight of blood.

"Kiera, are you gonna be okay?" I ask.

She nods. "Yeah, it's just... all of the blood."

"Well, puke if you have to and get it out of your system," Luigi advises. "The lobby was the site of a legitimate bloodbath."

I still don't think she's going to be too fine with that.

The elevator reaches the ground floor without a sound made between the three of us. The door opens and I'm surprised by the sight: more zombies. That must be how that one got in here. He probably got bit and tried to run, got into the elevator, and turned in there after the door closed or something like that.

Kiera nervously raises the M9, but I push her hands down. "Don't shoot. Me and Weegee got this."

I glance at Luigi and he nods, determination on his face.

We dash out of the elevator and raise our weapons, crunching in two separate skulls. Luigi goes off doing his own thing while I do mine. I raise the bat and swing at another zombie, the metal cracking bone and destroying the brain. That doesn't feel right.

There are only seven zombies standing, and no blood has gotten on my suit yet. This is shaping up nicely.

The bat lowers with my arms. A third zombie in sight equals a third zombie redead. My right leg goes forward and my arms pull upward, the bat smashing into the zombie's jaw. The zed gets tossed a little in the air and smacks its head on the corner of a table. That bitch oughta be dead now.

I look at Luigi and all he's doing is ramming the metal pipe down into their skulls, taking out significantly more than me. Holy god, he's already taken most of them out!

There's one zombie left and it's fairly close to me, so I just windup and swing. The bat connects with the base of the zombie's skull at an angle, popping it off and causing a stream of blood to spurt out. Luckily for me and my suit, it doesn't spray at me.

"What the hell, man?" Luigi asks, a little bit of blood on his shirt. "You were slacking."

"Suit," is my answer.

I look up towards the elevator to see Kiera hunched over, holding her stomach.

"Guess she took my advice." Luigi noticed too.

"It was good advice," I say. Very good, actually. If she gets it over with here, she won't be a sitting duck out in the danger zone.

"Any idea where we're going?" Luigi asks, changing the topic.

"I was hoping you had said idea."

"Maybe..." Luigi and I both look up to see Kiera next to us with her hand on her chin. She recovered quickly "There's a convenience store not too far from here. Why not go there?"

"Brilliant idea," Luigi says, tossing his pipe in the air and catching it. "Think you can take us there?"

She nods and pushes open one of the entrance doors. Luigi and I follow her at a close distance, our bashing sticks at the ready. There are a few zombies on the street and Kiera's raising the pistol again. Once more, I put my hand on hers and push downward.

"They react to sound and touch," I whisper to both her and Luigi. "So long as we're quiet and not brushing up against them, they shouldn't notice us. Doesn't mean you shouldn't attack if they get too close."

"How do you know?" Luigi asks quietly.

"Remember that arm?" He nods, probably thinking, 'That was ghetto.' "That's how."

Kiera doesn't seem wholly convinced, but she walks down the street anyway. Luigi and I lightly jog to catch up with her, our weapons still at the ready. She's power walking, meaning she's either eager to raid a store or she's really uncomfortable.

Our fearful leader makes a right, onto a zombie infested street. She stops and turns around.

"Now what?" She's being angry and quiet, something I haven't been able to consistently do.

My eyes glance over the crowd. There's an alleyway in the middle of the street, but some zombies are blocking that. Maybe if I distract them, we can get through. There's a garbage can right next to us, so...

"Weegee, hand me that lid." I point to the garbage can's lid, which is on the street.

He bends down and picks it up quietly before handing it to me. "What are you gonna do, try to mow them down with a lid?"

"Enough with the smartass remarks."

I hold the bat out to Luigi, which he takes. It's a metal lid, kinda flat like a frisbee, and also a little on the light side. This'll work just fine.

Putting my right leg forward and positioning my right arm on my left side with the lid in hand, my wrist flicks forward and the lid goes into the sky. It's a good toss, and the lid flies towards the alleyway... Aw shit, is it coming down? It's going down!

The lid bounces off of a zombie's head near the alleyway, causing a loud metallic sound. The lid falls into the alleyway from there, creating yet another noise. All of the zombies in the area look towards the alleyway and start stumbling towards it.

"Go!" I point to the sidewalk that just cleared up. Luigi tosses me the bat and they start walking at a near-jogging pace, with me following closely behind. Kiera stops at another intersection and makes a left.

We follow her lead for about five minutes, making NASCAR-tier turns and right turns, before stopping in front of a storefront. There's probably a sign, but it's not important enough to look for, though the two zombies in front are.

"Here it is," Kiera breathes.

"Good work," I say as Luigi walks forward with me. We have the same idea, which is good.

We both take our weapons and strike our enemies. Luigi's target goes down without a fight, but mine doesn't seem to take being hit too well. Odd, considering he - or she, for that matter - ought to be dead now.

The zombie turns around as I swing the bat again, cracking it square in its jaw. The bone makes an audible crack and a couple teeth fly out as the undead woman lurches back. The concrete breaks her fall, or more accurately, her skull. The zombie stops moving, a small amount of blood pooling out from her head.

This is the kind of work that should be on that Dirty Jobs show, maybe more so since I'm wearing a suit. I could make a business out of this.

Luigi peers into the store and holds his hand up. Five fingers at first, then three fingers. I'm going to assume that means that eight zombies are inside.

"Stay here." Keira glares at me when those two words leave my mouth. Luigi opens the door and walks inside, pipe raised. I follow, bat at the ready.

Mi amigo immediately lashes out with his pipe, busting a zombie's skull open. I swing the bat at one and cause its skull to cave in. Pulling the bat away, I strike again, causing a second zombie's skull to fold in and the zombie itself to knock down one of its comrades.

My foot ends the downed zombie's struggle, the bottom of my shoe crunching in its face. I'm able to feel the squishy brain matter, which is just such nasty feeling.

Retracting my foot, my arms rise up and come down, but they curve as they're coming down, resulting in a swinging motion. The bat meets yet another zombie's face and squishes it in. Were this bat an animate object, it'd be making quite a few friends.

The last zombie is slowly walking towards me, but that's not gonna happen for long. The bat, eager to make another friend, gets raised and rested on my shoulder. I windup and swing, the bat befriending the undead freak's face.

And apparently, so does Luigi's pipe. He also hit the zombie, but in the back of the head. Talk about overkill...

We retract our weapons and I motion through the window for Kiera, who's fidgeting, to come inside.

She quickly walks to the door and opens it.

"Don't do that again!" she says after the door closes.

"Do what?" Luigi asks.

"Leave me out there! What if one of those... those things attacked me?!"

"Alright, it won't happen again," I say, trying to keep her volume down.

"It better not," she huffs, crossing her arms. Jesus, it was only one time.

Luigi looks around. "Looks like we're not the only ones who thought about raiding this place..."

I take a gander around as well, not gaining any pleasure from what I see. "Motherfucker..." I groan.

There is still a considerable amount of food, but there's a lot that's been taken. I guess the only thing to do is grab as much as we can.

"Just take as much as possible," I say.

"With what?" Luigi asks.

"These." Kiera, out of nowhere, hands us each a bundle of plastic bags. "God, you guys are hopeless."

Says the girl who can't kill a zombie and likes running around in her underwear.

"But these'll make noise when we move," Luigi points out. "These basically scream, 'Eat me now!'"

"Then we'll have to move fast and keep the bags from rustling as much as possible," I say. "There's really no other option."

"Well, maybe there're some of those big 'eco-friendly' bags in the back or something."

"Good thinking, Weegee. I'll check, you two gather up as much food as possible. I can carry about five bags in one hand, so..."

"Okay, show off. Go and check already."

I was going to do that, thank you very much.

I set down the bat and hop over the check-out counter, pushing open the door behind it that's labeled "Employees Only." Looks like I'm breaking a store rule since I'm not an employee.

The room is fairly small and has, among other things, a little cash box in it, but it's locked. Not like I could use money anyway. On the table are two boxes of twelve-gauge shotgun shells and a crowbar.

I have no idea what a crowbar could be used for in this kind of store. Regardless, someone _could_ get all Gordon Freeman on some zombies.

The shotgun shells mean there's a shotgun here somewhere... Ah, right there! Propped up on the wall, next to some of those bags Luigi mentioned, is a twelve-gauge shotgun. What model it is, I don't really know. I definitely know it's not a SPAS-12 or an AA-12 and I also can tell it's not loaded, since the pump's pulled back.

I pick up the boxes of shells and slide them into the pockets on the inside of the suit jacket. I wish I had a handgun right there, because that'd be so badass. Picking up the shotgun, my eyes search for the model inscription, but I can't find anything besides **500A**.

"Whatever," I sigh. The only manufacturer that comes to mind is Mossberg. Remington has 870s, Benelli has the M4... That leaves Mossberg. Granted, there are many shotgun manufacturers, but that's not the point.

Grabbing the shotgun with my left hand, I pick the crowbar up with my right hand and use it to grab the handles of the bags. Walking out behind the counter, I just stand there.

"Jake, what are you doing?" Luigi asks, looking right at me.

"Hello, would you like to make a purchase?" I ask with a straight face.

Luigi just stares at me, his face straight. That doesn't last long, because then he starts laughing. Or squeaking, because we've compared Luigi's laugh to that of a flamboyant baby dolphin.

Hopping over the counter again and looking around, it becomes apparent that our female friend is nowhere in sight.

"Where'd she go?" I ask, trying not to laugh at Luigi's laugh.

"Bathroom," he says, managing to stop giggling. "We've got quite a few bags of food and wheredidyougetthatshotgun?"

That was fast, both his speech and the obtaining of bags of food.

I set the bags and the crowbar down and grasp the shotgun with both hands.

"It was in that back room, as was that crowbar and the bags." I hold the shotgun out to him.

"What, you want me to have it?" he asks.

"No shit, Sherlock. I don't care if you don't trust yourself, just take it for now."

He nods and takes it, but cocks an eyebrow at me. "How am I gonna carry this and bags?"

"It's not loaded, so just put some bags' handles on the barrel."

"You gave me an empty gun?"

"I could make you carry the M16 as well."

A door creaks open and footsteps echo throughout the small store, tapping on the linoleum floor. It doesn't take a genius to know who it is.

"Can we go back yet?" Kiera complains. "I don't feel good."

"Is there anything else we should grab?" I ask, looking around the store.

Luigi shakes his head. "Nah, we've got chips, candy, pop, cookies-"

"Any _real_ food?" Normally, I'd have no problem with all of these snacks, but we'll need actual food to keep moving.

"Some microwaveable stuff and ramen."

With a groan, my hand runs through my hair. "Alright, let's get some more of that and then we can leave."

Kiera's the first one to grab more food like that, shoving it all into one of the eco-bags. Luigi and I follow suit, filling that one bag with that kind of food before filling another. There are six of those bags total: two filled with junk food and snacks, one full of pop and two gallons of milk, one with a bunch of cereal and bowls, and the two with actual food.

Carrying these is going to be fun, but I'm a little curious as to where the bowls came from.

Two bags each is the fair way to divide it, but even so, we'd be left defenseless. However, we have the M9.

"Pistol, please," I say, holding my hand out towards Kiera.

She doesn't argue, but seems reluctant to hand it over. When she does, I pick up both bags with my left hand, holding the handgun in my right. Luigi picks his bags up this way as well, because of the shotgun, but Kiera grabs one bag per hand. I also wedge the crowbar and baseball bat into my two bags.

"Stay close," I say before opening the door.

My foot pushes outward, opening the door and putting us all into the sun. Looking at the sky, it's not going to stay this way for long. Rainclouds paint the sky black not too far away from the scattered blotches of white in the sky now.

A few zombies linger on the streets, one continuously walking into a streetlamp.

This street is actually familiar... I glance down the street the way opposite we came and spot a vehicle riding on a lamppost in the distance. Behind that is a crowd of maggot-addicts in front of a store.

"Weeg, know where we are?" I whisper.

"Where?" he asks.

"The street with the bar from last night."

"Huh."

That Humvee was pretty useful. Maybe there's some more things in it that we can use.

Slowly, I set the bags down and start down the street, flicking the M9's safety off.

"What are you doing?" Luigi asks, his voice slightly louder than it should be. My whole body turns.

"Checking to see if there's something else we can use in that Humvee," I angrily whisper back. "Stay in the store for now."

"Goddamn Jesus poop," Luigi angrily huffs.

Halfway down the street, I look behind me to see them watching me. I told them to go back inside, but whatever.

I finally get close enough to the Humvee. Its engine has stopped smoking and the driver side door is open. The dead Guardsman's body is still here, still covered in vomit on the head.

There aren't any zombies directly around me, so I should be good for now. Maybe I can find a military radio or something in the vehicle, or even on the body... It'd be best to check inside the vehicle. The second zombie's gone, danke Gott, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't be cautious.

I step over the vomit-covered body and lean inside of the Humvee. The interior of it is just as nasty as it was last night, with blood anywhere and everywhere. There doesn't seem to be anything we can use in the front besides the actual CB radio, and I don't see us pulling this thing out.

I back out of the Humvee and lean down next to the dead Guardsman. The putrid stench is just so... putrid, for lack of a better adjective.

"Oh god," I mumble, covering my nose with my right sleeve as my eyes scan the Guardsman's vest.

There. In one of the pouches is a walkie-talkie-style radio, but there's no noise emanating from it. That's a good thing, I guess. That, or the batteries died.

Sliding it out of the pouch, I drop it in the other inside pocket of the suit jacket and stand back up. There's really nothing else to use here, besides the Humvee. That's not a safe bet, though, given the noise it would make and its damaged engine.

I start walking towards the other two and wave, trying to signify that I'm alright. I guess I was just being paranoid about them staying there, since the zombies aren't that close to the store.

"Alright," I say when I get within earshot. "Let's get a move on."

"Yes, let's," Kiera says, eager to get back to safety. "I don't like it out here."

"Me either," Luigi says.

I can't say I disagree. Getting back to the hotel is our primary objective, that way we can eat and check out this radio some.

We move out, though I'm the only one able to defend against any attacks.

This really shouldn't be hard, though.

* * *

**Meanwhile, on a congested bridge in Tokonosu City, Japan...**

* * *

People were running, trying to cross the bridge, and police were trying to stop them.

"I think it's better to evacuate to the suburbs," Kohta remarked.

The pink-haired Saya shoved her finger in Kohta's face. "Cars aren't the only way to get out of here!"

He began thinking about what other modes of transport there were in the city, when he realized...

"The airport on the ocean, you're right!" he said.

Saya leaned in to look out the window. "It's far too dangerous to be anywhere in the city. I bet a bunch of people are trying to escape to some island or some isolated area with a some kind of strong military presence or something."

"Like Okinawa? But the American military that's stationed there isn't there to fight... Oh, but there's Self-Defense Forces..."

The pink-haired genius put her hand on her chin. "If the military has taken the appropriate measures, then I'm betting that Hokkaido and Kyushu should be okay, too. If flights are leaving, then all the flights are headed to those areas."

Kohta put a silly look on his face. "So you think maybe we should head that way, too?"

She glared at him. "It's too late! The areas with heavy presence of Self-Defense Forces and American military may be managing to keep 'Them' under control, but I'm sure they've already started to adopt a stern policy toward letting anyone else in. Y'know, sooner or later, it's going to be like that everywhere in the world. I mean, what would you do in the same situation?"

"I'd seclude myself," Kohta brilliantly replied.

Saya rubbed her eyes, concluding that he had issues, but began preparing a counter-argument.

It was going to be a lengthy wait.

* * *

**AN: Alright, so a lengthy chapter with no action is to be expected. I really don't plan on having chapters this long, but it just depends on how I roll with it. Suggestions are always welcome, as are reviews and questions, and I hope you enjoyed!**

**P.S.: The underwear scene in the beginning was more or less comic relief for those of you who didn't understand. Oh, and all spelling errors are my iPod's f****ault.**


	4. Illegal Activity

Chapter Four: Illegal Activity

* * *

**Z-Day + 1, 3:45 P.M. EST**

**Off of the Atlantic Coast, on the USS George Washington, American Waters...**

* * *

"Mister President, the Prime Minister of Japan is on line four."

"Tell him to hold on! I'm talking with the Prime Minister of Canada right now!"

"Right away, Mister President."

The President of the United States sighed and rubbed his temples. _This zombie outbreak is one of the worst things to happen, and it just has to happen for me. I can just hear the Republicans blaming me for this in their campaign ads and whatnot_.

"Mister President, as you were saying?"

The Prime Minister's voice riveted the President from his thoughts. Stress wasn't helping the situation any.

"Anyway, I can try to send some aid, but I don't want to spread our resources too thin."

"Completely understandable. All we really need are some troops in the Montreal and Vancouver areas. Those cities are getting hit pretty hard." The Prime Minister cleared his throat. "By the way, you don't happen to know who caused this yet, do you?"

The President was getting annoyed with that question. The French President asked, as did the German Chancellor. How would he know? The CIA didn't get back to him since the night before.

"No, not yet," the President sighed. "The CIA isn't going to be able to produce results quickly, especially after less than a day."

"What about the NSA?" the Canadian Prime Minister asked. "Wait, you wouldn't know, huh?"

The President laughed darkly. "I see that's become something of an international joke. Very funny."

"Thanks, I thought so."

"You don't know what sarcasm is, do you?" The President rolled his eyes, perturbed with the Canadian leader. "You'll get the aid as soon as possible. I have other matters to deal with, so goodbye and good luck."

"And the same to you, Mister President."

The President hung the phone up and picked up line four. The Japanese Prime Minister wasn't kept on hold for too long.

"Your Excellency," the President greeted, a small bead of sweat running down his forehead. He wasn't nervous to speak with the Japanese leader, just stressed. "I hope you are well."

"Likewise, Your Excellency," the Japanese Prime Minister returned. The President still felt a little weird when he was called 'Your Excellency.' "Or, Mister President, since this is quite the informal occasion."

_All depends on what you view as formal and informal, Prime Minister._

"Indeed, Prime Minister. You don't need assistance too, do you?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact." _But what about the troops in Okinawa? _"Sendai is under siege, as are the cities of Tokonosu and Hiroshima."

The President had been to all of those cities before. Tokonosu stood out, though, for it had an offshore airport. "Tokyo's fine though?"

"We have the situation somewhat under control here in the capital, but it's hard to say if it will be this way-"

"-in a few days, I know." _We may never get this under control. _"Uh... I'll see what I can do. The earliest I see any troops getting to any city is within a day, no later than two."

"Arigatou, Mister President."

The President sighed. _Sure, don't mention it,_ he thought dejectedly. _Why can't they ask anyone else for help, like Russia or Britain?_

"Until then, I wish you good luck," the President said.

"Likewise."

The Prime Minister was the one who hung up. The President set the phone down and ran his hands through his short and graying hair. _At this rate, we'll be spread too thin within a week..._

The President waved down one of his aides. "Get Downing Street on the phone! And bring me a beer..."

* * *

**Meanwhile, in a hotel in Seattle, Washington...**

* * *

"You just found this shotgun?"

I scratch my forehead as he pulls his arm back. "No, Dom, I bought it. Of course I freaking found it!"

My cousin shakes his head. "You must be some kind of friggin' gun magician or something. What's next, you gonna pull a minigun out your ass?"

"Yeah, I wish. Luigi, toss me one of those." Luigi tosses a pack of Oreos to me.

My fingers pull the wrapper apart and grab one of the sandwich cookies. I wish I had a cup right now.

"What about that walkie-talkie? What's the use of having only one?"

"You mean 'what's the _point_,' and I'll say it again: it's a military handheld radio."

"Which isn't gonna do us jackshit, right?"

I shake my head and walk away, towards the chairs. God, he's being so simple.

When we got back to the hotel, we weren't greeted by any more zombies in the lobby, but rather a small amount of food found and not eaten by Dom and Luke on the seventeenth floor. It was typical, especially of Luke. No, actually, the both of them.

The two of them also pulled a few chairs and a table out of the empty rooms on the floor, creating a little sitting area, so I guess they managed to do something useful. Sitting down on the floor wouldn't be comfortable in a suit, anyway.

Kiera went to the shower almost immediately after we came back, and she's still in there. I don't know why, she didn't get any blood on her. Luigi's actually the only one who got any blood spattered on them.

"So, do I get that?" Luke asks, pointing to the shotgun as I sit down in a chair.

"Like hell!" Dom says, throwing his hands up as he sits, too. "You'd sooner blow your own head off with that than a zombie's."

I shrug when Luke looks at me for back-up. "Luke, you have no experience whatsoever with guns. You'd sooner get the M9 than a shotgun." At least Luigi shot a gun. That was a year ago, though.

"Then can I have that?" He points to the M9 on the table.

"No!"

"But I want it! And that Kiera girl got to use it."

"Stop whining! She never used it, it was only if she absolutely had to."

"Besides," Luigi butts in. "She was far too nervous."

My head bounces. "Exactly. Chances are, Dom'll get the shotty and Luigi'll get the M9. You and Kiera will have to smack 'em with stuff for now."

Dom picks up the shotgun and racks the slide. "Woo!" he exclaims. "Shotty!"

Now that's what I call over-enthusiasm.

"Yeah, but don't get too pumped," I say, tossing an Oreo into my mouth.

Curious, I snatch the handheld military radio and turn it on. I don't really hear anything but static. Maybe Dom's right and I just picked up a useless walkie-talkie...

Dammit!

I set the radio back on the table and pop another Oreo in my mouth. We could just wait here until help arrives, but that may never come. I look at the other three, and they're laughing and carrying on...

It's a small sense of normalcy in an abnormal world. I can't join that small taste of sanity, however. The insanity, figuratively speaking, of the situation is weighing on my mind far too much.

Where do we go? What do we do? How do we do it? Will we survive?

It's only been one day - hell, not _even_ one day - yet here I am, weighing this small world of five on my shoulders.

I sigh and run my hands through my hair. We really can't just stay here the whole time. There could be survivors out there that need help, maybe even military outposts we can take shelter in...

"Bro, lighten up," Dom says, prodding at me with the butt of the shotgun.

I shrug the gun off and stand, tossing the empty Oreo pack in the air. He's right, I should lighten up, but I just can't.

"Dom, the world's gone to shit, how can I lighten up?" I ask, keeping my head down.

I can imagine Dom rolling his eyes. "You have no faith in our military, yet you call yourself a patriot."

I look up. "The military's likely having issues, too! You can't just rely on the fucking military for every-goddamn-thing!"

"You rely on your dad, don't you?"

I start walking away. Now he's just pissing me off. Just because my dad's in the military, he thinks he can use the basic concepts of algebra to make a valid counter-argument.

"Jake, 'cuz, c'mon! I was only kidding!"

Yeah, but that doesn't matter right now.

I walk into my room and shut the door, sliding down it. I don't even know how my dad's doing. He could be overseas or on the homefront, leading a bunch of troops to their deaths or a glorious victory...

Standing up, I slide my arms out of the suit jacket and toss it aside. My hands make their way up to the tie as I walk forward and loosen it, right as I fall onto my bed.

I just want to clear my head for now... Maybe just lie here, get some sleep, something...

My eyes flutter shut, giving me the hope for sleep. Sleep certainly seems nice right now, with all of its mind-clearing abilities...

...

I toss and turn for... god, I don't know, twenty minutes, maybe? Either way, I can't fall asleep...

_KNOCK KNOCK!_

"Who is it?" I ask, looking up and wishing that there was a 'Do Not Disturb' sign that was universally understood right on my door.

The door opens and Luigi walks in. "It's-a me, Luigi!"

"What do you want, L?" I ask, rubbing my eyes.

He takes a seat on my bed. "Seems like you had something on your mind."

"No shit."

"Something's troubling you, man."

"Nothing is, now go aw-"

"Jacob."

Luigi and I lock eyes. He knows me too well... Maybe I shouldn't have vented to him so much in the past. Jesus, he should be a therapist or something. I don't know how many times I told him that.

I sigh and nod, prompting Luigi to sit on my bed while I cup the back of my head with my hands.

"Alright," Luigi says. I imagine him pulling out a pen and paper. "What's the matter?"

A grunt escapes my mouth as My head turns toward him. "Besides Dom being hardheaded as usual?" Luigi nods. "This whole... shitstorm, I guess you could call it."

"And what about the shitstorm, as you call it, is so troubling?"

I sigh again. He's just asking questions, not being ignorant of the situation. "You know what's wrong with this whole damn fiasco, but... I guess... I don't know..."

Luigi smacks my back lightly. "Listen, Jake. I can tell you're pushing this all on yourself. You don't have to."

"But then who wi-"

"We all will. As a group. It's _our_ struggle, not just yours. Sure, you may just be our de facto leader, but don't think that everything is your responsibility. Besides, one day's a little too early to get stressed out, right?"

He has a valid point. "I guess you're right, Weeg." I sit up and he stands.

"Maybe you should stress out in a week or so, y'know? Not right now." He twists his body, seemingly restless. "I know Dom's being an ass, but isn't that how you two always are with each other?"

Again, he has a point. "Yeah," I agree, nodding.

Neither of us say anything for about a minute, though a plan slowly formulates in my head, thanks to my stubbornness regarding the radio. The handheld radio isn't picking up anything, but maybe that CB radio in the Humvee is...

"Weegee, you down for a trip?" I ask, hopping out of bed and walking to the dressers in search of an old belt.

He cocks an eyebrow. "Where to?"

"Back to the Humvee." I didn't bring any belts, so I'm shit out of luck here...

"May I ask why?" He's getting a little sassy.

"We..." I snatch up the suit jacket, abandoning my pursuit for the belt. "...are going to try listening in on the military."

Luigi cocks his eyebrows a little more. "Are you sure you don't mean we're gonna try contacting them?"

"One hundred percent positive. We're just gonna listen in, maybe jack the Humvee, even."

"You're insane."

"So I've been told." I open the door, grabbing the baseball bat and slinging the M16, ammo in my suit pocket. "Let's get a move on."

Luigi walks out with me, but he's holding his arms out. "Shouldn't we get the guns or something, first?"

"We are."

"'We are' what?" Dom asks from the makeshift sitting area.

"Penn State," I reply, walking over towards him.

"What are you doing?" my cousin asks.

"Oh, nothing." I'm totally nonchalant as I toss Luigi the M9 and its ammo before snatching the Mossberg and a box of shells for myself.

"What are you planning, cousin?" Dom asks more forcefully, standing up as we walk away from the chairs.

"Nothing, just going to take a walk is all," Luigi replies, backing me up for some reason.

Dom starts walking towards us, but we're already booking it down the hall. Talk about a smooth escape. I doubt any zombies will be around the Humvee anyway, since we were already there not even a couple hours ago, but...

"Just how are we going to take the Humvee?" Luigi asks, pressing the down button on the elevator control panel.

"That's a good question."

The blood on the inside part of the windshield is going to be the hard part. We've gotta clean it somehow, but I don't know with what. The bar's nearby, maybe there'll be something in there to use.

The two of us step inside of the elevator and I press the **G** button. While we're waiting, I guess I oughta load the shotgun...

I set the baseball bat and shotgun down, pulling out and opening the box of shotgun shells. I take out six shells. After picking up the shotgun again and sliding the first shell in, my hand racks the slide, chambering the first shell. Luigi anxiously looks on as I load the remaining five shells into the gun.

"Why three guns?" Luigi asks.

"Never can have enough firepower," I reply.

My eyes wander up to the floor indicator. Third floor, alrighty then. I pick up the baseball bat and hand it to Luigi, who just looks at me, confused.

"I can't carry it with this," I say, shaking the Mossberg.

"And I should be holding this two-handed as well, right?" To prove his point, he grips the Beretta with both hands. "Just leave it here."

I can't really argue. I doubt we'll run into real trouble, especially if we get into the Humvee.

The elevator dings open, revealing a group of men, maybe in their early twenties, standing in the lobby. Four of them are black, one is Asian.

"This coul' be a goo' cr- the fuck was tha'?" one man spins around and looks directly at us. He's wearing a gold chain around his neck, it seems.

"Who are you?" the Asian man asks.

Are they a gang or something? Their clothes suggest it, since they're all similar. Blue shirts and baggy pants. In all honesty, I don't know how an Asian guy got affiliated with a black gang.

I raise my hands, shotgun in hand. "We want no trouble," I calmly say.

"I suggest your bitch-lawyer-ass shuts up!" one of the other four men say. He's wearing a black baseball cap backwards.

He raises his arm and - goddammit, I should've expected a gun! He fires a round, but it misses widely. I quickly shoulder the shotgun and aim, hitting the safety off. They want to threaten my friend's life and mine? I'll end theirs before they can try.

"I suggest you calm the hell down," Luigi says, possibly muttering a racial slur under his breath. I hope he didn't. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see him pointing the M9 at the hostile group.

"Shoot again and what little brain matter you have will be banging that wall," I taunt, my finger itching to squeeze the trigger.

"Bitch, please," a third member of the group says, this one with a small afro. "You's probably too scared to tell some uglyass ho you wanna slide inside her."

He inches forwards as his pals chuckle at the poor joke. God, I want to kill this jackoff.

"Don't tempt me, asshole." I glare at the man with an afro.

He laughs. "'Ey homies, you checkin' this fool? He thinks he's Mister Big Shit, wavin' 'is shotty around." He raises his arm, a Glock in his hand. "Cops can't save you now, toy. I'mma bust a cap in yo ass, then yo friend's ass, then wipe my nutsack across yo sad, bi-"

_BANG!_

The smoke dissipates from the barrel of the shotgun as I rack the slide, revealing a rather gruesome sight. The man's face is now a grotesque red pudding, with some chunks of the mix on the wall, meshed together with some gray matter and pieces of drywall.

I just killed a man. And it wasn't a mercy killing...

"That bitch killed Jerome!" the backwards cap guy shouts. "Waste they asses!"

I duck next to a table and flip it on its side, narrowly avoiding a bullet to the stomach. I raise the shotgun over the table, aim it roughly at their position, and pull the trigger again.

"Argh! Damn!" I hear someone shout. Guess I got him.

Pulling the shotgun back down and racking the slide, my eyes immediately shoot to the elevator. Luigi took cover inside, but the doors haven't closed yet. His arm comes into view with the M9, the muzzle flash irritating my vision. He's preventing the doors from being closed just to provide cover fire.

Glad I brought him.

I set the shotgun down and unsling the M16. The shotgun may be useful for close range destruction, but the M16 can reach farther distances and fire automatically. Too bad we have a Mossberg and not a Benelli M4. I still haven't slid a fresh magazine in, but I'm not gonna do that now. Flicking the safety off and the fire selector to full-auto, I hop and spin, pulling up the rifle quickly. Closing one eye and taking aim, the trigger stays pulled back as I fire in an arc.

Bullets fly out of the barrel, smacking into the man with the gold chain, penetrating deep into his chest and his shoulder. A small amount of blood sprays out from each wound when the bullets enter and exit the man.

I'm gonna assume he's gonna die soon.

Some of the bullets hit the Asian guy, but only in the areas around the knees somehow. I hear many shots being fired, from the gang and from Luigi, bullets whizzing by me. Blood and brain matter sprays out of the back of the baseball cap wearing man's head, having been shot by Luigi.

I depress the trigger again, but nothing happens. Frantically, I duck back down behind the table and hit the mag release, sliding out the empty magazine and slapping a new one in. I put the empty magazine in my pocket and stand, taking aim at the last "standing" people. Luigi walks forward and bends down to pick the Mossberg up after sliding the M9 in his pocket.

The last two men, the Asian guy on the ground and a black man with nothing defining, frantically aim their Glocks at us, shaking violently. There are several holes in the black man's lower torso. He's the one I hit with the shotgun...

"You sons-a-bitches laid out Lamar, Jerome, and Keshawn!" the Asian guy says. He's getting pale and groans in pain with every movement. He also seems to have a Vietnamese accent or something.

I kick the Glock out of one's hand and Luigi knocks the other's away. We have two "new" pistols, at least.

The other man just glares at us, coughing up blood. Should I kill them now? Yeah, I should. Raising the barrel of the M16 into the Asian man's face, I prepare to squeeze the trigger.

"Jake!" Luigi knocks the barrel down and shakes his head before bending down.

"Weeg, what are you doing?" I ask.

He ignores me. "Who are you with?"

The man spits in Luigi's face. "Your mom."

That earns a kick in the stomach from me. I know what Luigi's doing.

"What gang, you worthless piece of crap?" Luigi asks again.

While he's doing that, I bend down and pick up one of the Glocks. Personally, I despise Glocks with a burning passion, but a gun's a gun, and you do what you can to survive.

The safety's off. Gut.

I raise the pistol and aim for the man's arm, pulling the trigger when my aim is on the elbow. The man howls in pain as the bullet penetrates and destroys his elbow joint, blood spraying up on Luigi's face. Luigi looks like he's gonna be sick. The man rolls in pain and his friend looks on with worry on his face. Luigi seriously doesn't seem to be feel-

"Bleeegh!"

And for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Luigi blows chunks. All over a live man... Despite how serious the situation is, I can't help but start chuckling as one of our would-be assailants is writhing in pain and disgust while covered in partially-digested food. I'm officially a sadist.

"GET IT OFF!" the vomit-covered man shouts. "GET IT OFF! WE'RE GREENWOOD FAMILIES FOR CHRIST'S SAKE! JUST STOP IT! OH GOD IT'S HOR-"

I pull the trigger again after aiming the barrel of the Glock at his head.

"What the hell?!" Luigi exclaims after a small amount of blood hits his face.

"It's not like we were gonna provide him with medical treatment anyway!" I counter, throwing up my hands. "Regardless, he was gonna die!"

"Goddammit!" Luigi groans. "You've killed how many people now, you sociopath?"

"You're both going to regret this," the sole survivor of the group calls. He has a deep voice, one perfect for narration.

"Says who?" I ask, aiming the Glock at him. "I'll paint the floor red with your blood just as easily as I did with your buddies'."

"Then do it already. I'm gonna die anyway, so why not?"

I raise the Glock and he sneers, seemingly mocking me. He wants me to kill him...

I sneer back and lower the gun. "No. I oughta just bust both of your kneecaps and drag you into the street." These are dark and disturbing actions, yet I'm actually contemplating them. There is something wrong with me.

"So be it," the man spits. "I ain't afraid of some punk-ass kid like you."

"Jake, what the hell is wrong with you?" Luigi asks, slowly backing up.

"Nothing at all," I reply, kicking the man in the face. "We wanted no trouble, yet you idiots started shooting!"

"That's survival," the wounded gang member hisses, spitting up blood. "It's just how it is on the streets. Can't trust anyone but your homies."

"And that's what gets scum like you killed."

"We're not so different, you and I." He coughs up some more blood. "I've killed people, you've killed people... You two lovebirds are just as much a gang as we were. Doing what we can to survive..."

This is something more suited to the death of the main antagonist in some game.

"Only we don't attack those not willing to fight," I say, holding the Glock up to the man's head.

He laughs, some blood coming out of his mouth and running down his chin. "You will soon enough, chump. Just you watch. Not everyone can be trusted..."

"Can I kill him yet?" I ask, turning to Luigi.

He cocks an eyebrow and turns his head sideways. "Why are you asking permission now? You smoked three people without permission before. I'm surprised he's not dead already."

Luigi and I killed four people... He killed one and I killed three...

I don't know why I'm not disturbed by this like I should be. They threatened our lives, yes, but it shouldn't feel this normal. Shouldn't I be feeling troubled, guilty, or something?

"Hey, you twisted, pasty asshole! Kill me already!" the man demands. "You fuckin' pu-"

I don't know why, but I'm beyond irritated now. Pulling up the gun, I fire a round into his head. Blood sprays out into my suit, staining the shirt red. Make that five kills, four for me.

Swearing under my breath, I bend down and begin rummaging through his pockets.

"What are you doing now?" Luigi moans. "Killing them isn't enough? You have to disturb the bodies?"

"Ammo, dumbass," I say, tossing a Glock magazine to him.

He catches it one-handed. "You'd be a freakin' vulture if you were an animal."

"I'd prefer being a wolf, thank you."

"Wolves don't scavenge, though."

"Right. They're valiant creatures that fight together. The weak... they kill the weak."

There's an awkward silence that seems to be caused by my statement while I start collecting ammo from the Asian man's body. Maybe that was too much of an egotistical thing to say. Am I saying I'm an alpha male or something like that? Everyone else is a beta while I'm an alpha?

"Never mind," I say as I move on to the third body. The other two had Glock 17s, but this guy has a Glock 22, which fires .40 S&W rounds as opposed to nine millimeter rounds from the G17. They are very similar visually, but there are some key differences, such as the barrel inscriptions. I pocket the G22 and find three magazines in the dead gangster's pockets. No complaints here, so those go in my pocket, too.

I move onto the fourth body when Luigi speaks up. "What do you mean, 'never mind?'"

He really just processed that? "About the wolf thing. That's just my ego, I guess." Another G17 and two magazines of nine mil ammo.

Luigi walks to the body of my first victim as I move on to it as well. "No, you're kind of right."

I cock an eyebrow and look up. "You're kidding, right?"

Luigi shakes his head. "No. You did kill the weak, the ones who would die without a shadow of a doubt. We fought together like wolves, too. Granted, it was far from valiant."

I chuckle and rummage through this guy's pockets, trying to not look at his mangled face. Another Glock 22 and three more .40 S&W magazines greet me. Maybe I'll just keep these for now, even though I can't stand Glocks.

"Maybe so," I say, standing back up. "You think we should call ourselves wolves or something, like the Wolverines in Red Dawn?"

"Wasn't that the one with the Koreans?"

Groaning, I turn around. "No, the one from the eighties that had the Soviets... Never mind." I never saw the remake, but that's probably because I've always had issues with remakes.

I slide the two G22s in my inside suit pockets and slide the magazines into my pant pockets. Definitely can't take everything all the time. I hand Luigi one of the G17s and four magazines. He nods and accepts them and I run to set the other two Glocks and their magazines in the elevator. That earns me a raised eyebrow, but I don't really think it matters.

"Alright, Weeg." I walk back up to him and put my hand on his shoulder. "Ready to steal military property?"

"You already did."

...And he ruins the moment. "That's not the point. Anyway, let's get going."

The two of us step outside and look around. I can't really retrace Kiera's path to the convenience store, but Luigi seems to. He's already walking down the street, meaning I should follow.

I draw one G22 as we walk through the streets. Luigi's clutching the Mossberg tightly and it's at the ready. He must be spoiling for a fight... No, given my actions not even ten minutes ago, I probably am.

The zombies are scattered about, having barely moved since we last passed through, so there's nothing to worry about.

I wonder what everyone thinks of me now, though. Once they find out I shot a dude in the elbow just to get an answer out of him and then blew his brains out at random, they're bound to think I'm a psycho. In my defense, the whole conflict started because we were being threatened. My dad always told me to stand my ground when I felt threatened, and I kinda did just that.

Luigi's probably deeply disturbed now that that whole thing went down. I don't know how he feels after killing a man, but I know I don't feel the least bit disgusted with myself after killing four, and it's disturbing. Less than a day later and I'm a fuckin' psychopath? What is this, Dead Rising? ...I'm stressing too much on this. I need to just calm down and relax when we get back. Wait, when aren't I stressing too much?

Five minutes or so pass, though all I'm doing is following Luigi. We evade the undead and come in front of the store we raised this morning.

"Alright, let's go," I say, fast-walking to the Humvee.

Luigi keeps pace with me as we close the gap between us and the vehicle. The puke-covered body hasn't moved an inch, but zombies aren't just crowded around the TV-display anymore. There are some not too far away from the Humvee, which is unsettling.

I open the driver-side door and peer inside again, taking the amount of blood into account. Maybe I was wrong, since there's not _that _much blood in the windshield. I blame the mass hysteria of last night. All we really need is a washcloth or something to wipe off the blood, but where...?

The bar. Like I said earlier, it has to have things we could use.

"Weeg, stay in the Humvee," I whisper.

"Why?" he asks.

"Because I'll be quick, just hop in the back."

That was a really poor reason why, but he gets in anyway. He already thinks I'm insane, so why not?

I slide the Glock 22 back into my internal suit pocket and unsling the M16, holding it by the handguard yet again. The safety may be on, but this is still risky.

I start walking to the bar and come almost face-to-face with a zombie damn near immediately. Instinctively, my arms swing, smacking the M16's butt into the zombie's face. It wasn't a hard enough hit to kill, nor did it make the shambler fall, only stumble. Swinging again, I can feel the skull crack. The zombie falls down, but still wriggles around. My heel can cure its falling illness. The skull doesn't pop off like in movies or games, it just produces a sickening sound and feeling. Again, I'm not really disgusted.

I continue walking, a very faint footprint getting left behind in blood. Several zombies are in front of the bar's door, which isn't helping any. They're clustered together, which isn't going to make bashing them easy.

I sling the M16 and pull out one of the Glocks. This is such a stupid idea and I hope I can think of something to counter it.

Raising the forty-caliber handgun, I pull the trigger three times, downing about five zombies. All of the zombies turn towards me and start shambling.

Shitshitshitshit... What do I do? This was definitely the stupidest idea I've had. What can I seriously do? Is there anything I can throw or something?

My eyes shoot over to the other side of the street, next to the TV-display. There are a series of metal trash cans on the sidewalk. This is such a cliché coincidence, but it's one I'm going to take full advantage of.

Raising the Glock once more, I aim at the first trash can and shoot at an angle. The gunshot rings out, but the bullet smacks into the trash can and creates an equally as loud sound. The force of the bullet denting the metal somehow causes the one trash can to topple over, knocking down the second. The third and fourth are left standing, but the ruckus caused by the two fallen trash cans causes most of the zombies to turn away from me and start towards the cans. They're on their sides now, and I expect some zombies to kick them around or trip on them. Regardless, the noise will keep them occupied for now.

I sprint to the now vacant doorway and throw the door open. It's kinda surprising that the door's unlocked, but I don't remember locking it last night. Four bodies are still lying on the floor. Who were they, Joe and Gerald? Yeah, the dead brothers, the zombie, and the guy whose name I don't know.

That's not what I'm here for. If I were a bartender, where would I store my washcloths? Behind the bar, maybe?

Hopping over the bar, I look around for the washcloths. There's beer, whiskey, beef jerky... Beef jerky? Screw it, I'll take some. I pick up a piece and snap a bite off, chewing it while in pursuit of the washcloths.

There's a bucket of water right next to one of the kegs, and I guess it could be useful. But the damn washcloths aren't anywhere! They could be anywhere but-

...they're right in front of my face. The washcloths were right on that keg... Damn, I feel stupid. There's a drying towel and glass cleaner right next to that. Bueno.

Shoving the rest of the jerky into my mouth and snatching up two cloths, the bucket, a plastic bag, the towel, and the cleaner, I walk out from behind the bar and set the bucket down to open the door. Picking it back up and walking out, I pull the door shut with my foot. It seems that the zombies are still fascinated with the trash cans, that's good.

Walking forward, I lose a little traction and slip, nearly falling on my ass. I guess causing collateral damage wasn't a good idea in more ways than one.

I awkwardly fast-walk back to the Humvee and set the bucket down next to the wide open driver-side door. Luigi hops out of the back and grabs a washcloth. I put the drying towel and the glass cleaner on the seat.

"Really?" he asks. "You shot four times?"

"The last shot was a cliché, so I'm fine," I say, earning a raised eyebrow. I fail to see what's hard to understand about a cliché. "Let's get to cleaning this thing, then."

Luigi wets his rag and heads to the passenger-side door while I wet my rag and hop right in. Swiping the rag on the windshield, blood smears a little. It dried, so at least it won't get everywhere. Luigi's side has a bit less blood than mine, so he's a little fortunate.

It doesn't take long to clean the blood off, and after spraying the glass cleaner, it looks much better than before. Obviously it would, there's no blood covering it.

Running the drying towel across the glass, there's a sparkling shine to it. Not really...

"Alright, Weeg," I say, throwing the cleaning supplies out on the street and opening the back door. "Let's load this guy up." My foot kicks the dead Guardsman.

"What the hell? Why?" he asks, visibly disgusted.

I bend down and put what remains of his head in the plastic bag, tying it. The scent is appalling. "Because, his uniform is perfectly intact. Suppose we find a military base and need to get in, one of us can be disguised and get us in."

"What makes you think they'd do that, only let military in?"

"It's just preparation, asshole. Now c'mon, I'll grab the arms."

He groans and walks over, picking up the dead man's legs while I take the arms. Spinning around, I climb up into the Humvee and pull the body onto the seat while Luigi pushes. I hop out of the other door and shut it, Luigi doing the same to the door I climbed through. Walking back to the driver-side door, all of the doors are shut, so we should be safe from zombies regardless... unless they break a window. Luigi walks to the passenger-side as I climb in, causing him to follow suit.

"Let's see if this thing'll start," I say, turning the key after closing the driver-side door. It was really kind of the National Guardsman to die while driving and leave the key in the ignition. I'm guessing he turned it off before he died, which was probably when the Humvee crashed into the street lamp. The engine roars to life, much to my... okay, my emotions are mixed.

"I think I should be the one driving," Luigi says. "I have my license."

"I may be wrong here, L," I reply with a smartass attitude. "But last time I checked, the world's gone to hell. We don't need to worry about getting pulled over or prosecuted for stealing government property."

"Okay then, just get us the hell out of here." His words imply worry, but his voice does not.

I throw the transmission into reverse and back up, running over a couple zombies before putting it into drive. I doubt he knows that these things don't go that fast. We'd probably have a quicker escape in a Prius than this thing. Then again, Humvees don't imply the things Priuses imply.

I run over a few more zombies as I turn the civilian radio on and drive forward. This thing has two radios, a civilian radio and a military CB.

"...have declared a state of martial law, including the United States..."

"Great," I moan.

"What?"

"We aren't gonna get prosecuted for stealing government property, we're gonna get shot."

"Why? You didn't already forget about your horrid master plan, did you?" He jerks his thumb to the back seat.

"Huh... Good point."

The radio keeps broadcasting news. "...in South Africa, former president Nelson Mandela was taken to a secure location in Johannesburg, whe-"

I change the station, sick of the news. The world's gone to hell, thanks for telling me.

"May I ask why you changed the station?" Luigi asks.

"Same reason I shut the TV off this morning."

Music starts playing. "...wouldn't it be good to be in your shoes, even if it was for just one day?"

"Oh, I love this song!" I say, preparing to sing along. "'Wouldn't it be good if we could wish ourselves away?'" Cue short musical piece. "'Wouldn't it be good to be on your side? Grass is always greener over there! Wouldn't it be good if we could live without a care?'"

I pause, reflecting on those lyrics.

How I wish it was still like that. Not having to fight for your life, not losing your humanity, not becoming a psychopath in just one day...

"This is a pretty good song," Luigi says.

"Yeah, it is."

After running over an indeterminate amount of undead, we pull into an alleyway several blocks away from the bar and I kill the engine, leaving the radio on. I flick the civilian radio off and turn on the CB. It might not even be a CB, but I'm just calling it that.

I look at Luigi and make a throat slit motion for him to keep silent. He nods and I lean back, listening.

"...er, copy Overlord, Oscar Mike to Charlie Hotel, over."

Why are they using the phonetic alphabet and their military codes now? I don't think those are National Guardsmen and I'm going to assume Charlie Hotel is City Hall or something like that. I look at Luigi and he shrugs.

"Come in Bravo Team. What's your status, over?" the guy I'm going to assume is Overlord says.

"Sierra November is in sight, Overlord. Preparing to secure civilians, over."

"Bravo, secure as many civilians as possible, but eliminate any infected that pose a threat, copy?"

"Wilco, Overlord. Bravo out."

I turn off the CB, which still probably isn't a CB, and sigh. So far, nothing of interest.

"I thought that there were secure comm lines or something," Luigi muses, turning on the civilian radio.

"There are. I'm surprised I was right... My best guess is that all comm lines are connected now in case one team needs support and another is nearby. It shortens things, as one team doesn't have to request support and command doesn't have to reach the nearby team to redirect them to the first team..." I look out the window, gray bricks staring at me. "I don't really know."

"So, what now?" Luigi asks. "We've got the Humvee, the military hasn't provided us with anything of interest to you, and you loaded up a smelly corpse in the back of the vehicle."

"If that last part's a problem, there's that minivan over there." I smirk at my little reference. Luigi's mom has a minivan that we all are affectionate of. "I guess we could head back."

"You cooled down enough?"

I nod and turn the key in ignition. The Humvee roars to life once more and we pull out, Luigi dancing in the passenger's seat to some new rap that I don't like.

* * *

**Thirty minutes earlier...**

* * *

Kiera walked out of the room that Jake designated for her, her blonde hair wet. Dominic sat on one of the chairs, pondering what was wrong with his cousin. _Maybe it's just another mood swing, but he could be just taking total responsibility yet again..._

"Where's Jake?" Kiera asked, rousing Dom from his thoughts.

"Like I know," Dom replied. "Luigi and him just walked out, grabbing the guns on their way out."

Luke cleared his throat. "Y'know, me and my brothers don't fight as much as you two."

"We're cousins!" Dom exclaimed, exasperated.

"You act a lot like brothers, though."

"That's because of how we were raised." Dom leaned his head back, sighing.

"How come?" Kiera asked, taking a seat.

_I swear she has a thing for Jake. Either that, or she's just too curious, _Dom thought. _Whatever, ain't gonna hurt to tell._

"Jake and I are cousins," he began. "But we were raised like siblings. His mom died shortly after having his little sister because of pneumonia. Since his dad wasn't able to be there all the time, Jake and Tali were put in my dad and mom's care. Uncle Phil and my dad agreed on it, said it was the best thing. We're more like brothers than we are cousins."

"How long ago was that?" Kiera asked.

Dom shrugged. "Shit, thirteen years ago, I think. It's been so long..."

"Why couldn't his dad take care of them?"

_Alright, this questioning is getting on my nerves._ "His dad's a Marine. According to the both of them, my dad and my uncle, he joined right out of high school. Then he met his wife, Jake's mom, and they got married, had Jake, et cetera, et cetera... He remarried a couple times, but Jake never liked his stepmothers and insisted on staying with us. He barely knew his real mother, that's the ironic thing."

"Why didn't he like them?"

"Okay, what's with all the questions? I want to know. That's my question to you. You barely know us, all Jake did was find you here, doing God knows what, and you want to know about my cousin's past like you've known him for years but never asked about his childhood?"

Kiera was stunned and gave Dom a confused look. "I'm sorry...?"

"Dom, I think you should cut her some slack," Luke chimed in.

"Shut up Luke!" Dom pointed at Luke accusingly before turning back to Kiera. "I saw you this morning, lying on his bed with him. I know Jake well enough to know nothing went down, but you seem to just follow him. He could pinch a loaf and you'd drop a deuce, too." _Wait a minute, am I jelly?_

"I really don't understand what you're trying to say," Kiera said, her confused look not vanishing. Suddenly, a sly smirk slid across her face. "Are you jealous, perhaps, that a sexy vixen like me likes your cousin better than you?"

"Of course not!" Dom exclaimed, though he was lying through his teeth.

Luke began chuckling, earning a cold glare from Dom. Annoyed, he stood and walked to his room.

"I'll be here if you need me," he called before closing the door.

Back in the sitting area, Kiera giggled. "He's mad," she said aloud.

Luke nodded in total agreement, a wide grin on his face. "You got that right."

* * *

**AN: No scene in Japan this time around.**

**For the record, the scene with the gang members wasn't intended to be racist, nor is it. That's just so no one starts flaming me, saying I'm racist because of one scene. As for the military, no clue how that would work in such a situation. Some things just can't be explained.**

**As always, review and all that jazz. Suggestions are welcome via PM.**

**And yes, Jake has issues.**

**P.S.: Happy belated Thanksgiving to all American readers.**


	5. Family Matters

Chapter Five: Family Matters

The military transport eases up to the curb outside the hotel and I quickly kill the engine, slipping the key into my pocket. The last thing we need is a crowd of zombies getting into one big orgy just because they heard the Humvee. Luigi and I get out, close our doors, and he throws open the back door.

"This is disgusting," he says, hooking his arms underneath the dead Guardsman's as I round the back of the Humvee.

"Get over yourself," I say. "Bashing the skulls of corpses is disgusting, too."

He pulls the body out, lays it out the ground, and huffs. "Says the guy who has no moral ramifications when he kills people."

I shrug and grab the legs of the corpse, closing the door with my foot. "I don't think you should feel bad when killing someone who's threatening your life or when you euthanize someone who's in misery."

Luigi grimaces, probably realizing I have a point, and picks up the arms again. "You're a disturbed individual."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"...you look like that bald assassin dude, but with hair?"

I laugh and cup the legs with my arm, using my free hand to open the door before using two hands again. There's no way in hell. "I never thought I looked like Forty-Seven. In fact, there's no way I could. He's a clone made with DNA from people of several ethnicities and races..." Actually, that sounds like he should've been from America and not Romania, come to think of it. Russian, Chinese, Middle Eastern... I've seen people like that.

"Jesus," Luigi groans as we walk inside the lobby. "You're being difficult."

A shrug rolls off my shoulders and we carry the body to the reception desk, putting it on top. He fails to realize that I enjoy being difficult. Luigi wipes his brow and puts his hands on his hips.

"Now what?"

I tilt my head toward the door. "You get the shotgun, make sure those doors are locked, and head back up."

"I take it you're going to strip his clothes off?"

"When you say it like that, L, it implies things."

He walks over, pushes the door to the outside open, and grins. "Who said I wasn't implying anything?"

Asshole. I grin and begin my dubious job of getting the uniform off of the dead man. This is going to be easy, though kinda nasty.

I'm not quite sure why a National Guardsman has a tactical vest on, now that I think about it, especially when they seemed to be treating this as nothing more than a small riot yesterday. No matter. I begin pulling the vest up and over.

Luigi walks back through with the shotgun in hand, snickering at me. I look at him and glare. No one else would do this, I know that. Hell, he didn't want to load the body up.

Using one hand to pull back the right arm and the other to tug at the vest, I get the arm out of the vest, noting a combat knife in a sheath on the vest. Jesus, this isn't as easy as I thought it was gonna be. The arm stays still when I let go, which doesn't seem normal. What the hell do I care? It's the zombie apocalypse. Nothing's normal anymore. No, wait, that's just rigor mortis...

Hopping up and over the desk, I do the same with the left arm. The rest of the pulling is easy after that, since I just pull it over the head-bag. Setting the vest aside, I look at the BDU itself, taking note of the identification patch things. The right patch, which is actually on my left, reads **RYAN** and the other reads **U.S. ARMY.**

"Looks like you weren't saved, Private Ryan," I quip. That's still a good movie and at least his equipment was saved. Asshole still tried taking me down, though.

My hands move to the top of the jacket and begin unfastening the front closure rather quickly.

I undo the last fastening and... I'm just gonna say rigor mortis is a bitch. This dude's arms are still wide in the air and I've gotta get the BDU jacket off... Goddammit. I bend the left arm and pull it in, sliding it out of the sleeve and adjusting it accordingly. There's one side done...

Moving back to the other side, I repeat the process I just did and pull the sleeve away from the arm. Yanking the jacket, the body starts to turn and...

_THUD!_

Well, shit. Private Ryan's on a hotstreak of not getting saved. I set the jacket on the desk and hop over for the third time. The dead soldier is in a jacked-up push-up, oddly. Sighing, I flip the body over, that way I can get the remaining three pieces of his uniform.

I untie the boots and pull them off, a foul stench greeting me. "Jesus, Private Ryan," I complain, holding my nose. "Wash your feet or something." I raise the boots up and set them on the desk as well.

Now for the most awkward part: his pants.

My hands make their way to the top of the pants, right at the waistline. I undo the button and pull down the zipper. I just hope that this stiff ain't stiff.

I move down the feet and start pulling the pants. When they come off, leg holster still attached, I toss them on the desk like I did everything else and hop over for the forth time.

Gathering up all of the pieces of the uniform, I give unsaved Private Ryan a short salute, since he's technically helping me out, and walk to the elevator. I press the button and start tapping my feet, impatience setting in.

The door opens after a couple seconds and I step in, pressing the **17** button. My head turns back about halfway up, my eyes registering a several black objects, Glock-shaped and otherwise.

"Dammit, Luigi," I mutter under my breath. He just can't take the Glocks, too. Not like I can blame him, though.

There's a ding and the door opens. Stepping out, I begin walking back to our sitting area. It's really going to stink in here once those bodies start decomposing. I think a few of their faces are already getting mushy, and those aren't the ones we bashed in.

The chairs come into view, as well as my companions. Luigi's talking to the group.

"...he's probably insane," he says.

"Please, Luigi," I say, clearing my throat. "Would you care to repeat that?"

Luigi looks up and Dom nonchalantly waves me off.

"Heya Jake," Dom says. "We're talking about your insanity, apparently."

Called it. "I see." I walk to my room, open the door, and set the equipment on my bed, as well as the M16, the two Glock 22s, and their respective magazines.

I walk back out and take a seat next to Kiera and Luke. Kiera immediately begins looking me over and Luke watches.

"Are you hurt?" she asks, moving the suit jacket. "Is this your blood?"

I don't know why she's worry about me. As for the blood...

"That's not his blood," Luigi says. "It's some gang member's."

"Gang member?" Luke asks.

I nod, everyone staring at me. "When we went down to the lobby there were some gang members there. We tried the diplomatic route-"

"-but Jake gave up and resorted to shotgun diplomacy," Luigi intervenes.

"Yeah, literally." I see the other three cock their eyebrows. "They tried shooting us, so I got pissed and blew this dude's head to hell when he was ranting on."

Luigi steps forward, having never sat. "So we got into a gunfight with them. Jake killed four, I killed one." I get the feeling he's leaving out the part about me shooting the Asian guy in the arm on purpose. Let's keep it that way.

Dom shakes his head. "Jake, did you feel anything?"

"After killing them, no. Maybe relief, but nothing else. While we were in the gunfight, I was pissed."

"Fucking grade-A sociopath right here," my cousin says, throwing his hands up. I'm surprised he's being this civil right now, given how rustled his jimmies were earlier.

"That last guy... Before I killed him, he told us we were going to regret killing any of them. Obviously I don't, but..." Idea! I turn to our female member. "Kiera, what do you know about gangs in the area?"

She shrugs, and I see Dom facepalming out the corner of my eye. "I know some stuff, I guess."

"What do you know about the Greenwood Families?" Luigi asks, getting my idea. I'm glad he's not as dumb as Luke, I really am.

Kiera's eyes widen a little. "They're not the worst gang here, but they are pretty ruthless. You fought with them?" Luigi and I nod. "Goddammit..."

"Why 'goddammit?'" I ask, scratching my neck.

"Yeah, what he said," Dom says.

Kiera stands up and I get a whiff of some good-smelling shampoo. "If I'm right, my cousin said they send patrols. If one goes missing, they send another to find them, and so on." More organized than I thought a street gang would be, if that's considered organization.

"What, your cousin a cop or something?" Luke asks.

Kiera nods. "Yeah, he is. That's not the point. We're screwed if they find those bodies in the lobby."

"No we're not," I say, sliding out of the suit jacket and setting it on the back of the chair. "Luigi and I easily won that fight."

"Yeah, but they have numbers, Jake. Like, three thousand at the least."

Oh scheiße. That's a lot of gangbangers.

I stand up and walk to the community mini-fridge that's set up, pulling out a can of Coke. I pop the top and take a sip.

"So, we're already fucked," I say, pacing back and forth, taking the occasional drink. "There might even be a 'rescue team' on its way..."

"And here he is," I hear Dom say. "Planning something."

"You're goddamn right I'm planning something." I could get into the military equipment and then we head down, the new patrol hopefully there. From there, I impersonate a soldier from the Army, National Guard or not, and try to get them to turn back peacefully...

It's far fetched, but it's all I got.

"Jake, what the hell?" Dom says as I walk back into my room, closing the door.

I don't think I'm gonna answer him. Sliding out of the suit, I stand in my room, in my boxers... with the door unlocked... Who cares? I'll be quick. I carry the suit to my door, crack it open, and set it outside.

"You can have these, Dom!" I loudly say before closing the door again.

I grab a tan undershirt out of the clothes I have, which is thankfully pure cotton, and pull it on. I then slide my arms into the jacket and start fastening the Velcro. Once that's done, I pull the tactical vest on, readjusting it so it's comfortable.

I sigh and bend down to pick up the pants when my door opens. "GODDAMMIT!" I shout. People don't know how to keep doors closed...

Looking up, I see Keira wearing a shit-eating grin. "Looks like someone's going commando."

My head shakes and I start to pull the pants on. She'd like it if I was going a different kind of commando. "Why are you in here?"

"Just wondered what you were doing," she says. "This look suits you."

"What look?" I ask.

"The military look."

"I always did like it..." I button the pants and pull up the zipper, then grab the boots. "...but I never thought it suited me."

"Well, it does. It's kinda sexy, too."

I pull the boots on and bend down to start tucking the pant legs into them. I should actually like her hitting on me, but it's just... weird, I guess. We haven't even known each other for a day and... ah, I went through this before. I'm just gonna maintain that she's a flirty and straightforward girl.

My silence must've unnerved her or something, since she just plopped on my bed. The pant legs are comfortably in the boots, but still within regulation, and I start tying the laces. That takes a couple seconds and I stand, cracking my neck.

Turning to the bed, I take note of Kiera lying down and playing with one of the Glocks. I lean forward and snatch it out of her hand.

"Hey!" she says, sitting up. Her hair's a little messed up.

"Get up." My thumb jerks back and she reluctantly hops up. I grab the M16 by the carrying handle with one hand and the magazines with the other. I slide the magazines into the mag pouches and sling the M16. Glocks won't fit into my leg holster, so that's out of the question. Regardless, I pick one of the G22s up and slide it into one of the pants' pockets along with three magazines. I pick the other Glock and the remaining magazines up, keeping them in my hands.

Kiera just looks me over and I walk forward to the door, swinging it open. She can keep imagining me naked if she wants, but I'd rather she didn't.

"Holy shit," Dom says, now wearing the suit, when I walk to the circle of chairs. "Look at you, your dad'd be proud. Get some of those sunglasses and you'd be a badass, just not a dapper one, which is obviously better." He does a little spin, the tie flowing in the air. He does know I wore that first, right?

"Yeah, yeah," I say, handing the Glock and the magazines to him before turning to Luigi. "I need the M9."

He nods and holds it out, along with the magazines. I take the gun, make sure the safety's on, and slide it into the holster until it clicks.

"Alright," Dom says, playing with the Glock's slide. He shouldn't do that. "What's the plan, Sarge?" I cock an eyebrow at the nickname, which causes my cousin to point at my sleeve. "The guy whose uniform you 'borrowed' was a Sergeant."

I nod, feeling stupid for not noticing it before. "I thank Private Ryan for that, anyway. Moving on, our plan is simple. We just go down and wait in the elevator for them to show up."

Luke tilts his head like a dog. "Uh... Then what?"

"Open fire, most likely," Dom quietly answers.

"No, that's Plan B. This is Plan A. There are two more Glocks in the elevator for you guys," I point at Luke and Kiera, "but I don't want any of you to make them visible to the gang members... Now, c'mon. Let's get going."

The five of us start walking to the elevator. At the elevator, Luke's the one to push the button to open the door. We all get in and I push the **G** button.

"Now, if we hypothetically have to go to Plan B," Luke asks. "What then?"

"Kill the assholes," I bluntly say. "We also have this..."

I feel around in my pockets and the pouches... Where the hell is that key? ...oh.

"Dom, reach in your right pocket and toss me what you have." He slides his hand down his pocket, pulls out the key, and hands it to me, which I hold up, then slide into my left pocket. "We have the Humvee, just in case, but Luigi doesn't get to control the radio at all."

"Why?!" he asks incredulously.

"That shit we listened to on the way back!"

"It was Nicki Minaj!"

"And no one here likes her, Luigi," Luke says.

"Thank you!" Dom and I say at the same time. Kiera just starts giggling at Luigi's frustration.

Dom picks up the Glocks I mentioned and hands them to the gunless members of our party. Luigi's holding the Mossberg, looking ready to-

Wait. I said for them to not have any visible guns!

I snatch the shotgun out of Luigi's hand and set it next to the baseball bat, which I forgot was there. Luigi raises his hands.

"What gives?" he asks.

"No visible guns, dumbass."

"What about you?"

"I'm impersonating a soldier, I can brandish my weapon!"

"You're breaking the law, you know that."

I sigh and unsling the M16. "It's only gonna matter if we run into actual soldiers and they see through my disguise." Looking up, I notice that we're almost at the bottom. My finger flicks at the M16's safety, turning it off.

"Here's this, by the way," Dom says, handing me the radio.

Nodding, I take it and put it where it's supposed to on the vest. "Remember: keep the guns concealed unless we resort to Plan B. Stay behind me and just play along, alright?"

"What?" Luigi, Luke, and Kiera all ask, but the door opens and reveals our rescue team already here. Shit.

"I can't believe this shit," one man says. They're all wearing purple bandanas over their mouths and have blue shirts on. There's nothing defining about them. "Laid out some homies..."

"Hey!" One of the gang members notice us walking forward and he raises his Glock at us, sniffling. "Army man! You do this?!"

I shoulder the M16 and aim. "This city, like the rest of the nation, is under martial law. I suggest you lower your weapon."

He refuses to listen and shakes the Glock. I can't stand it when they hold guns sideways. "You ain't answerin' my question, you piece-uh-shit!"

I don't budge. "I have no idea what you're talking about, nor do I have to answer. I'll repeat: lower your weapon or I will shoot."

The gang member lowers his Glock and walks forward. "Our homies." He points to the bodies of the men Luigi and I killed earlier. "You know wha' happened to 'em?"

I lower my rifle as a sign of trust. That, or I'm just a freaking idiot. "They were like that when I got here." I point back at the others. "As you all can see, I'm escorting teenage survivors. I don't want any confrontations, so move out of the way."

One of the other gang members walks forward, a Tec-9 in his hand and raised at us. "I thin' we shoul' kill 'em, 'cept tha ho."

The first gang member shakes his head. "Yo Jamar, you want the entire fuckin' army on our asses?"

"He's prolly jus' one of dem weekend warriors anyways, Ray. They's all expendable."

"You's a busta. Straight busta," I say, mocking the gangbanger.

Jamar chuckles and walks forward some more, putting his Tec-9 to my head. "Who's a busta now, honky-ass foo'?"

I grimace and remove my right hand from the pistol grip. "Still you."

As quick as possible, my hand clasps onto Jamar's wrist and twists, causing him to fire a couple shots into the ceiling before dropping the illegally converted machine pistol. My head shoots forward and collides with his already disfigured face. I back up and Jamar falls to the ground, pulling down the bandana to clutch his nose and swearing incessantly.

I quickly reshoulder the M16 and aim at the other gangbangers. "Anyone else want to try their luck?"

Ray and the others shake their heads, but Jamar gets back up and squares up, as though he wants to engage in fisticuffs. "I betchu wiped out the homies!"

I actually did. "Listen, you piece of useless shit," I say, moving forward with the M16, preparing a lie. "I lost my entire squad to those things... they were my friends, and I have to deal with it! I lost friends in Afghanistan, too, yet I'm not accusing anyone random for their deaths! You lost a couple friends and you're blaming me just because you have a problem with authority, huh?"

Jesus, this feels wrong. Not the fact that I killed this guy's friends, but rather this lie. ...and I really pulled that last sentence out of my ass. So much for thinking everything through.

"Oh boohoo!" Jamar says, blood running down his nose. "Save me the bitchin', ya lil' bitch."

I really don't like this guy. This is probably gonna end up just like it did earlier... I lower the M16 some, but immediately turn it and smack him in the face as hard as possible. Through the gun, I can feel the antagonizing man's nose break due to how much force I applied.

Jamar falls on his ass again, clutching his nose with one hand and reaching for the Tec-9 with the other. I stomp on his wrist and grind a little. He howls in pain.

"GET HIM OFF OF ME!" he shouts, smacking my leg with his free hand despite the futility of the action.

I look up and raise the M16 with one hand, aiming at his pals. "Make a move and you'll be a zombie's fucking snack." I look back down at Jamar and grind my boot some more, causing him to scream some more. "Quit your bitching, you little bitch!"

Keeping the M16 aimed, I crouch down to pick up the Tec-9. My fingers touch the metal and start to curl.

Pain shoots through my crotch and I shout, falling backward. Immediately, I look up, one hand holding the attacked area and the other still raising the M16.

Jamar punched me in the sack and starts to scramble to his feet, but I trip him. All of his buddies, bar that Ray guy, have their guns pulled on me, including an AK-47.

"You niggas just calm yo asses down!" Ray yells. "He ain't causin' us no problems, let him be. 'sides, I don't want the fuckin' army bombin' our asses to shit 'cuz of you dumbasses."

The other gang members slowly lower their weapons. I look at Jamar, who's since retrieved his Tec-9 and is still aiming it at me. My arm swings the M16 to point at him, the barrel touching his forehead.

"Jamar!" Ray says. "That means yo retarded ass, too. I don't care if you failed first grade several times and had to bang yo old ass English teacher to pass tha twelf grade, put yo gun down!"

Neither of us move, each itching to squeeze the trigger.

"If he don't shoot you, I will, now get up!"

Jamar smirks and gets up, lowering his Tec-9. "I'll get ya," he says. "Jus' you wait."

"You assaulted and threatened the life of a U.S. soldier," I lie with a devilish smirk. "_I'll _get _you_."

The gangbanger shakes his head and walks away, wiping his bloody nose. I swear as I get up, still holding my crotch.

"I apologize," Ray says, walking to me with his hand extended. "I appreciate you servin' our country. As for them ignorant asses," he points to his fellow gangbangers, "I don't know what to say for them."

I shake his hand, feeling a little bad for lying. I have no idea why I do. "Just try staying out of trouble," I say. "Good luck surviving, too." I pull the leader of the group, I guess he is, in close. "Keep an eye on that Jamar, alright?"

"It's been on 'im for a while," Ray says.

I'm legitimately surprised that this dude's being so civil, especially when compared to that Jamar asshole.

"Well, keep it on him, and like I said, good luck."

"You, too," Ray says before looking at the rest of my group. "You guys-"

_BANG_!

Ray falls towards the group, blood spraying out towards them. Kiera screams and runs behind the table I knocked over earlier with Luke and the other two draw their guns. Wait, I thought I told Luigi to leave the shot-

Never mind, that's not important now.

I don't need to look to see who killed the civil member of the group. Jamar starts chucking and walks forward, Tec-9 raised. "Old coot," he says before pointing at me. "Now you."

I duck as he pulls the trigger, a short stream of bullets flying into the wall behind me. He must've used most of his small magazine earlier, since nothing's happening with each trigger pull he makes.

I shoulder the M16 and aim right at his head, squeezing the trigger. The single gunshot rings out, drowning out Jamar's scream before the bullet demolishes what little brain he has.

The other gangbangers have their guns raised, but not at me... They're pointing at watashi no tomodachi! No way in hell they're gonna shoot meine Freunde!

I quickly flick the fire selector to full-auto, aim, and pull the trigger just as the other men shoot, the guy with the AK firing three rounds. I hear Luigi fire the shotgun. A hail of bullets spray out of my rifle's barrel and mix in with the buckshot, smacking into each of the gangbangers in various locations.

"AH! SHIT!" I hear Luigi and Dom both shout in pain. I spin around to see Luigi fall on the ground, Dom down next to him. I run to them, flicking the safety on and slinging the M16 in the process.

"Jake, they've been shot!" Luke shouts, not coming out of cover. Like I couldn't have guessed that, but he's just trying to be helpful.

I feel even more pissed now. I pull the Glock 22 out of my pocket, flick the safety off, and aim it at the three squirming gangbangers, squeezing the trigger three times. One bullet goes into each of the men and they stop squirming. Bastards.

I look down at Luigi, a splotch of blood around his abdomen. Dom's been let off easy compared to Luigi, since he only got shot in the thigh.

I flick the safety back on and slide the Glock in my pocket, running my hands through my hair. What should I do? I doubt there are any hospitals still operating, literally and not, so those are out of the question. Even if they were, they'd likely be overrun by the amount of dipshits that'll run to the hospital, thinking that they can find the cure for a bite there. Sorry, but there's no Zombrex there, morons.

Luigi moans in pain some more, grabbing his abdomen. Damndamndamn...

There's only one group I can think of that can provide medical attention, and they'll probably arrest me for impersonating a soldier, stealing military property, and manslaughter.

But it's the only option we have.

"Dom, can you walk?" I ask. "Don't answer that, stupid question. Luke! Get over here!"

He runs over, Glock in his pocket. "What should I do?"

"He'll probably be fine, but help him walk out to the Humvee and get him in the passenger seat." I pull the key out of my pocket and hand it to him. "Hurry up!"

He nods and helps Dom to his feet, slinging Dom's arm over his shoulder and picking the shotgun up. Kiera dashes over and doesn't bend down.

"What can I do?" she asks.

"We're gonna have to carry him," I say. "Grab his legs."

"J-J-Jake..." Luigi mutters shakily as I dash around and grab his arms.

"What is it, L?" I ask, Kiera grabbing his legs.

"Don't... l-let me... d-die."

"No man left behind, Luigi," I say, heaving up. He groans in pain again. "Don't worry, I'll get you patched up soon."

"This... this is a-a-all L-Luke's... fault," he says, now constantly groaning in pain. Kiera and I spin around, to where I'm moving backward.

"It is." I push the door open with my back, looking back to see the back doors of the Humvee already open, Luke holding the passenger-side one open. Huh, he's not being incompetent for once. About damn time... He even started it. I'm proud of him.

I hop up into the back and lay Luigi on the seat, hopping out the other side. "You two sit back here and apply pressure to his wound."

They nod and get in while I hop out the other side. I close the door and find a zombie right in front of me. With no time to pull out a gun, I pull the combat knife out and ram it through the zombie's neck, blood spurting out on "my" uniform.

"Maggot," I growl.

I sheath the knife and open the front door, hopping in. I close the door and push the gas pedal down, taking the radio's microphone in my right hand. What do I say, though? I know some military voice procedure thanks to Dad, but...

Luigi groans loudly as I run over a zombie, causing the Humvee to rock. There're zombies all around thanks to the ruckus earlier. It's almost like there's a freaking May Day parade or something... Oh my god, that's something to say!

"Mayday mayday mayday!" I say after depressing the button to start talking, using one hand to cut the wheel left.

"This is callsign Baker. Requesting identification, over."

"Umm... Teenagers, over." I can't keep up the façade here, not do I know what to say.

"Say again, over."

"Baker, we are teenage civilians, over."

"Did you say 'teenage civilians,' over?"

"Affirmative, over."

"How the hell are teens on this frequency?!" Baker exclaims, breaking voice procedure.

"We commandeered a National Guard HMMVW, the occupants of which fell victim to the outbreak, over."

"Jesus H. Christ..." Baker groans, failing to move away from the microphone. "Now we have teens stealing Humvees... Can this day get any better?"

"Um... Requesting assistance, over."

Baker sighs. "Kid, what kind of assistance? Over," he adds, almost as an afterthought

"Medical," I say. "My friend and my cousin were shot and one is in dire need of medical assistance. If you can tell me where I can take them, that'd be much appreciated, Baker. Over."

"Wait."

Come on... "Luke, how's Weegee?" I ask, turning into another alley and parking.

"He's not doing that good," Kiera replies. I said Luke, not Kiera, but whatever.

I turn to Dom. "How 'bout you?"

He shrugs with a pained expression. "Could be worse, like freshman year."

Right. I'm not gonna say it, but it's his fault that he kept playing a football game with a broken arm. They lost anyway, so I'll never see the point why he kept playing.

"Besides a hospital, the Marine outpost at Kubota Garden will likely have the medical facilitation you need. Baker out."

I put the microphone thing back and smack my face off of the steering wheel. Where the hell is Kubota Garden? I sit back up and pull off the name and branch tags on the uniform. They're not mine, and I don't want the military to think that, especially since Baker'll probably radio in.

"Jake, can you pull out of this alleyway real quick?" Kiera asks as I set the tags on the dash.

I throw the transmission in reverse and back out of the alley, which is really dark despite the midday lighting of the sun.

I turn back to Kiera. I note how bloody her hands are. "Why'd you have me do that?" I ask.

"Because now I know where to go. Make a right down that street." She points down the road.

Right. How'd I forget that she knows her way around here? I nod and turn around, putting the Humvee in drive.

She keeps giving me directions as I drive, and I follow them, going as fast as this damn thing'll go, which is about eighty. After a couple minutes of fast driving, she tells me to slow down and make a right.

I turn right and see Marines standing behind a makeshift barrier in between two pillars with swirly patterns. They have their M4s raised at the Humvee. I pull up further and hop out of the Humvee, my hands raised.

"All we need is medical attention!" I say, walking forward. "You can lower your weapons."

"I'm afraid we can't lower our weapons, kid," one Marine says, his name tag reading **BOONE**. "We can get your treatment, though."

"Really?" I ask, lowering my hands.

"Yeah, we got a radio call saying you'd show up. Just drive up to the tent with the red cross and one of our medics'll take care of your buddies."

Wow, and here I was, thinking this would've been difficult. I nod and hop back into the Humvee. The Marines at the gate quickly clear a path for the Humvee to get through and I drive through it, breathing a sigh of relief.

"You'll be just fine, Weegee," I say.

"What about me?" Dom asks.

"'Tis but a flesh wound."

* * *

**Meanwhile, in the command base at USMC Washington Outpost Foxtrot (Kubota Garden)...**

* * *

Colonel Jeff Marston leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. His was a stressful job. The Marines had taken in a massive amount of refugees at this outpost - which was acceptable given its size of twenty acres or so - and while food wasn't an issue, hands were.

"Colonel." Colonel Marston opened his eyes and saw one of his more trusted subordinates walking toward him.

Captain Rowan Daniels had been under the Colonel's command for quite some time and rarely failed the Colonel. His black hair was slicked back as it often was and his darker skin contrasted with the white canvassing of the tent.

Daniels was a quick-thinker and very attentive, and the Colonel liked that. Captain Daniels immediately saluted the Colonel after he got as close as possible.

"At ease, Rowan," the Colonel said with a grin. "What have you got for me?"

"Five new refugees just reported in a couple minutes ago," Captain Daniels said. "They arrived in a Washington National Guard HMMWV and the driver was wearing an Army ACU with a tactical vest. He also had an M-series rifle on his back, but none of the Marines got a clear look at it."

The Colonel sighed. "More refugees... At least we have one more member of the military with us... Take a seat, Rowan."

Daniels sat down. "That's the thing. That guy's not military at all."

The Colonel raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean he's not military?"

"There was a call into the communications tent about ten minutes ago about a group of teenagers arriving in an HMMWV. Something about two of them being shot and one needing dire medical assistance."

"You're sure these refugees are those teenagers?"

Daniels nodded. "The Marines at the gate, specifically Sergeants Craig and Boone, said that they saw a teen in the front seat wearing a suit that had blood stained on it and another in the back with a gunshot wound in his lower torso. Two other teens were applying pressure to the wound."

The Colonel was intrigued. How did a group of teenagers get their hands on military equipment and get shot? _They probably thought that the M-series rifle was a toy and shot themselves..._ the Colonel thought.

"Rowan, I want the boy in the ACU here, ASAP. I have a few questions for him."

Daniels stood. "Right away, sir. Anything else?"

Colonel Marston shook his head. "You're dismissed, Captain."

Daniels bowed his head and walked out, leaving the Colonel to his devices. _Should these teens prove for enough for the task, we'll have some new members_...

Colonel Marston spun around in the chair and ran his hands through his graying brown hair. _You're not even in your fifties yet, Jeff. Yet, you have the hair of an old man. _The Colonel chuckled.

Now he just had to wait for Daniels to get the boy.

* * *

**Meanwhile, somewhere in Tokonosu City, Japan...**

* * *

A shot from a shotgun rang out and a woman screamed.

"This is absolutely nuts!" Rei worriedly said. "It's-it's like a war!"

"And we're front-row-center for it," Takashi replied.

The two of them were idling on the motorcycle they found earlier in the day. They were on a street with burning cars and psychopaths, who were shooting at anything that moved, undead or not.

"It's a dangerous place to be," Takashi added, kickstarting the engine. "Hold on tight."

Takashi did a little burnout and popped an unnecessary wheelie, passing burning cars left and right. To his right, Takashi saw the psycho men preparing to redirect their fire at them.

"Hold on to me, Rei!" he shouted.

He maneuvered the bike to the right in order to evade some of "them," then to the left to evade one of the psychos, a rotund man wearing a butcher's apron and wielding a meat cleaver. He tried to swing at the pair, but he swung too late and missed completely.

Another shotgun shot rang out, a man in business casual attire the source of it. He aimed at the bike-riding duo, but he didn't lead the shot enough. He ended up only denting the hell out of the door on a car that was parked next to the curb. The man with the piss-poor desk job racked the slide on the shotgun and took aim again. He pulled the trigger of his Winchester 1897 a second time, this time leading the shot a little too much. He ended up killing a conveniently placed zombie and the two teenagers sped past.

"We're not dead!" Rei complained after they passed a flaming car. "Why are these maniacs shooting at us?!"

"The whole world's gone crazy, Rei," Takashi calmly said. "We can't trust anyone."

"We can't trust anyone?" Rei asked, looking back in the psychopaths' direction. She took Takashi's silence as a "yes" and grimaced.

_Dammit!_ Takashi angrily thought as he saw a bunch of abandoned cars and live people blocking their path, forcing him to make a sharp left.

"But, the bridge is straight ahead!" Rei said. The bike slowed to a stop and Takashi turned his head towards Rei.

"I know, but did you see it?" Rei turned to face the bridge, gasping at what she saw. "At this rate, we don't know when we'll be able to cross... We'll head to Onbetsu Bridge and meet up the teachers and the others."

Rei turned around, grimacing at the thought of meeting up with Shidou again as Takashi took off.

_I'd love for him to meet the barrel of a gun_, Rei darkly thought as they kept riding.

* * *

**AN: So, on the American side of things, it was more drama than action. Meh, that's life (and parts of the anime).**

**Also, I just want to clarify that I tried to portray the gang members realistically, but since I have no actual experience with gang members, I had to base it off of TV and video games. Again, no racism was intended.**

**Guest review answer (Tyler): I can definitely try to give you tips, but that's not meant for an AN, unfortunately. As for who I based the male characters off of, I based them off of myself and three friends, appearance-wise (and some of the personalities). Kiera's more or less someone I just came up with who is American with 'anime girl' traits. If you want to know more... Well, read the below, but I'm glad you like the story so far!**

**Regarding questions and such, I don't really want to answer them in the ANs. Instead, I will leave my email in my bio and you can email me instead (if you don't want to make an FF account and PM me, which is probably better than emails, personally).  
If anyone can identify all of the references in this chapter, you get a cookie.**

**By all means, leave reviews and suggestions and see you next chapter!**

**P.S.: M1911s over Glocks any day (winky face).**


	6. Siege of the Dead

Chapter Six: Siege of the Dead

A cool breeze blows by, contradictorily calm. I'm tense as hell and I can sort of sense some tension from Luke and Kiera. Dom'll be just fine, but I'm not so sure about Luigi.

I sigh and run my hands through my hair, sitting down on the bench next to Kiera. I just... I sorta failed. I didn't really make any oaths to anyone at all yesterday, myself or otherwise, but it still feels like I failed Luigi, Dom, and myself. I cup my hands together and lean forward, tapping my feet impatiently. God, I hate this feeling of guilt. I know it wasn't even my fault, but still...

"Y'know..." Kiera says shakily. "You were scary back there."

"Necessity is the mother of invention," I say, not even thinking.

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"No clue."

I look up and she shakes her head, a slight frown on her face. "But, like I said, you were scary. Like, I was scared when I saw you fighting with that one guy and you started crunching his arm with your boot."

It was more along the lines of grinding in, but whatever. "For the record, I'd never do that to any of you." I lean back and sigh. "Besides, the prick had it coming."

Kiera doesn't seem reassured, though. I'm not surprised, since she saw me kill three or four men without a care in the world. In my defense, I did try peacefully resolving it, and that worked well at first.

"I liked your acting," Luke says. "You should be given an Oscar."

"Thanks." I don't care if he's being sarcastic or not.

Looking around, I can't help but take in the beauty of this place, bar the tents, buildings quickly being constructed, and military vehicles. Did the Marines choose this place for morale or because of its large area? There are Marines patrolling the area with their M4s and M249s, and there are others tending to the many refugees in the makeshift base.

"Hey, you!"

I look around to identify the voice, as do Kiera and Luke. Immediately, I see a Marine standing on the path, pointing at us.

"Who?" Luke asks.

"The one in the ACU." He jabs his finger at me. "Come with me."

"Me?" I point at myself, raising an eyebrow. The Marine nods and I stand, no other option available.

"I'll try to be back as soon as I can," I say to Kiera and Luke. They merely nod as I walk away.

I approach the Marine and he turns around, walking back the way he came. I wonder what he wants with someone like me...

"What's this about?" I casually ask. "Is it because of the Army wear or the Humvee?"

He doesn't turn to face me, nor does he answer me. Fine, asshole. Frowning, my eyes wander around again... This is a Japanese garden, right? Kubota... Well the name should have given it away! Damn, I'm oblivious.

What does this guy want, though? All I've done is transport my injured comrades here, albeit using "stolen" military equipment. It's not really stealing if you take it for survival and the original owners are dead, right? I mean, I never stole from a grave or anything and I doubt he knows about the gang members or euthanizations.

The Marine stops in front of a tent and motions for me to go inside. "You first," he says.

I nod and walk through. I think I just won't open my mouth around this dude because he seems like a douche. The tent has one of those tarpaulin-like floors, made out of the same material as the tent itself. Since it's on cement and not grass, I guess there's no real issue with that. Some military computer equipment surrounds a table in the middle and there is a crate of something in a corner. At the far end of the table is another "doorway," which seems kind of odd.

The Marine rounds the table and walks alongside it. Am I supposed to follow? ... Stupid question. I walk behind the Marine, taking note of all the computer equipment. It's amazing how much computer equipment is in this lone tent.

The Marine steps through the opening in the back, but motions for me to stay. After a few minutes of hushed conversation, the man beckons me in and I follow. The room's pretty small, and I'm greeted by a chair, a desk, and an older man in a chair with a beard and closed eyes.

"Colonel," the Marine says, causing the other man to open his eyes. "Here you are."

"Thanks, Daniels," the Colonel says. "You're dismissed." Daniels salutes and leaves the room.

The Colonel looks up at me and motions to the chair in front of his desk with a smile. "Take a seat, son."

Calling me "son" is a little weird, but alright. I sit down, a little nervous. I'm in the presence of a Marine Colonel while impersonating a U.S. soldier and I didn't even salute. Dad'd be pissed...

"Do you know who I am?" he asks.

"Er... Colonel..." I immediately look at his uniform, spotting his name on the name plaque pinned onto the right breast of his uniform. "Colonel Marston?" That name sounds familiar, come to think of it.

He nods. "So you've heard of me."

More of a statement than a question, but yeah. I nod in a 'kinda' way. "Your name is certainly familiar, but to be honest, I just looked at your name plaque, sir."

He chuckles. "I like your honesty. Tell me, son, what is your name?" He scratches his scruffy beard.

"Jacob Collins."

"Jacob Collins..." He raises an eyebrow, as though my name sounds familiar to him. "Why exactly did you commandeer a National Guard Humvee, Jacob?"

"Necessity, sir. My friends and I, minus the girl, were standing in the street last night when the Humvee started plowing through people. It crashed into a street lamp and I felt the urge to check the Humvee. The driver, Sergeant Ryan, fell out of the vehicle and, having seen a news report about the outbreak not even three minutes earlier, I decided to check for weapons in the Humvee and on the Sergeant. That's how I ended up with this M16A1 and M9. The Sergeant reanimated and I ended up bashing his skull in with the M16's butt."

"So you knew this Sergeant?" the Colonel asks with genuine curiosity.

I shake my head. "No, sir. I only know his name and rank due to the patches on the uniform. I took the name and branch tags off to avoid confusion." Not necessarily a lie.

The Colonel nods. "And the Humvee and ACU?"

"My friend Luigi and I went to where the Humvee crashed this morning after encountering and dispatching of a hostile group of gangsters. We loaded up the Sergeant's re-dead body in it before taking the Humvee itself. We were staying in a hotel several blocks from here, so we parked outside and carried the body in. Luigi headed up to the seventeenth floor, where our 'base' was while I took the Sergeant's uniform off."

"And you put it on why?"

"Because of a plan I had for the group to get away from more gang members, sir." I pause and give the Colonel a hard stare. "If you don't mind me asking, sir, but what's with all of these questions?"

The Colonel opens his mouth to answer, but gunfire rings out and the Marine who brought me here barges in, breathing heavily. "Daniels, what's the matter?" the Colonel asks, standing.

"There's been..." Daniels takes a breath. "There's been a breach, sir."

"What the hell do you mean, 'a breach?'" The Colonel's eyes look rather fierce, as does his demeanor. This is a stark contrast to his rather calm and relaxed expression two minutes ago.

Daniels takes another breath. "Those things, sir. They've breached the perimeter."

"WHAT?! What about our men? They couldn't kill those freaks?!"

Daniels shakes his head sorrowfully. "Negative, sir. A vast majority of our men and women aren't armed, since-"

"Yeah, yeah... I had 'em on fuckin' construction duty without weapons." The Colonel runs his hands through his hair. "But how'd they get in in the first place? Did they enter from the front?"

"No, sir. We have no idea where they got in right now, sir, but we know it wasn't a frontal entry."

Son of a bitch, he's not doing anything, so I guess I have to do something! I stand up and walk out of the room, the Colonel shocked at my sudden departure. Unslinging the M16, I flick off the safety. This is gonna be good, I just know it. My legs start pumping, closing the gap between me and the battlefield even quicker.

I burst out of the command tent and look around, zombies tangling with Marines and refugees everywhere. Shit. What a freaking refuge, huh?

First thing's first, I need to find Luke and Kiera. Running down the path, my eyes dart around in search of my comrades. Where the hell are they?

Gunfire is becoming constant, likely from the Marines at the gate and the ones who had guns. I pass the bench we were sitting at, but no one's there.

"Kiera! Luke!" I shout, hoping for a reply. Will I even be able to hear them?

"Jake!" I hear a male's voice say. I come to a stop and look around, taking note of a tent that's smaller than the command tent. Beside it are my missing comrades.

"Jesus!" I jog to the two of them. "Are you guys okay?"

Luke and Kiera both nod. "I think we should worry more about Luigi and Dom, though," Luke says.

"Good point." I jerk my head back. "C'mon, let's go check on them."

The two follow as I run through the makeshift camp. Zombies are everywhere, and I don't know how the fuck that happened. Even some Marines have become zombies.

I round the corner of a tent and get thrown on my ass, a zombie right on me. "Sack of shit!" I grunt, trying to push it off. These damn things are strong!

My M16 is being sat on by this maggot-addict, but maybe if I can... Yeah, I'll try that. I push with all of my strength from my left arm while my right hand makes its way to the combat knife. Just another second...

A gunshot rings out and blood sprays and drips all over me, like that goo on that one Nickelodeon show, as well as some brain matter. I push the body off and look up to see my savior.

"Kiera?" I ask, surprised that she shot a gun. She looks utterly mortified, her lip trembling and her face full of fear. Her arms are shaking quite a bit, gripping the Glock 17 tightly. Luke's just standing there, his eyebrows raised.

"I-I..." She drops the Glock and falls to her knees. The Glock goes off, but the nine millimeter bullet doesn't hit any of us.

I grab the M16, get up, and pull her to her feet. Luke bends down and grabs the G17 while I pat Kiera on the back. "It's alright, you saved my life," I say, trying to be reassuring.

She just buries her head in my chest, though I can't see how that'd be comfortable. There's magazines and stuff there. But is she really this traumatized over killing a zombie? If that's the case, it's kinda pathetic, not gonna lie.

I take a glance at the zombie and notice the USMC fatigues. She killed a zombified troop. Still not a traumatic experience.

"It's alright," I repeat. "But we need to keep going."

Kiera nods and Luke holds out the G17 she dropped. She backs up, wipes her eyes, and takes the Glock.

We keep going, killing zombies along the way. Luke and I do most of the killing. After some more turns and no surprise attacks from any zombies, we reach the medical tent, the one that has the Red Cross on it. It's considerably larger than the command tent.

"Dammit," I mutter when I see the crowd outside of the tent. There are gunshots within the infirmary and blood sprays every-so-often, but I don't think whoever's shooting will last long.

Shouldering the M16, I pull the trigger down while walking forward. A hail of bullets spray out, Luke and Kiera joining in the shooting, and I empty the rest of my magazine into the crowd. Blood sprays out everywhere, some of it gelled up. The tent gets adorned with a new kind of red object, a Red Splotch, as the bodies pile up. I sling the M16 and draw the M9, busting some more heads.

One zombie remains and I walk forward, unsheathing the knife and holding it alongside the M9. I jab the zombie in the neck with the knife and pull the trigger of the M9 when the barrel's on its temple. More blood and brain matter spray all over my face, resulting in me coughing up some blood. Not my own, of course.

Looking down at my uniform, there's blood spattered everywhere. Okay, that's a gross hyperbole, but there is a lot of blood on me.

I sheath the knife and holster the M9, and the three of us walk into the tent, patients and medics all breathing sighs of relief. One of the combat medics, armed with an M4A1, runs to me.

"Oh, thank god you came," he says, clasping a bloody hand on my back.

"Why couldn't you fend them off?" I ask sternly.

He holds up the M4, which has an ACOG scope and a foregrip. "Damn thing jammed."

Idea. "I'll trade you," I say. "This thing's not jammed, but you might wanna reload it."

He raises an eyebrow. "But what about you?"

"Just take it. I have other weapons." I draw the Glock to prove my point and slide it back in my pocket.

The medic nods, convinced a little too easily. "Sure, as long as it can keep those things back."

I take the sling off and hand him the M16 while he hands me its carbine sibling. I'm not going to clear the jamming yet, since there's something more important to do. Honestly, I'm surprised a Marine medic doesn't know how to clear the jamming of an M4.

"Where are the new patients?" I ask, getting a raised eyebrow as the medic reloads the M16. "The teenagers."

"Over there," he says, pointing towards the right corner in the back of the tent. "Wait, are you three the rest of those five?"

Kiera nods. "Problem?" she asks.

He shakes his head, though I'm not convinced. It probably hurt his pride that a bunch of teenagers saved his ass, despite the fact he probably can't clear the jamming of this carbine.

The three of us walk to the back of the tent. Luigi and Dom are in beds right next to each other, though Luigi's unconscious.

"What the hell's going on?" Dom asks, flinching when he moves his leg. "What's with the gunfire and why are you covered in blood again?"

"Zombies breached this supposedly secure location," I say, attaching the sling to the M4. "And I got an M4."

"How the hell did they get in?" He starts to sit up, but he falls back down, wincing. "Fuckin' thigh..."

"Hell if I know. How's Weegee?"

Dom sighs and rolls his eyes. "He passed out before they got the bullet out. As you can see, he's patched up, but he's out like a light."

"What about you?" Luke asks, putting his hands on his hips. It looks funny, especially when the Glock is added.

"Bud, I'm fine. I want to get up and fight with you, but that damn medic'll probably keep me here. 'We still gotta get the bullet out!'" he mocks. "Prick..."

"Well, we ought to get going and kill the opposition," I say, realizing we could be doing helpful things. "Just stay here and... you have that Glock?"

Dom nods. "It's still in my pocket."

"Good. Use that if they come here again. If you can, get some sleep."

"What're you gonna do?" He slides the G22 out of his suit pocket.

"Swing by every place we can and try sorting this mess out." I slap the M4's magazine.

"Alrighty then," my cousin reluctantly says. "Go get 'em. And Luke, don't be a pussy."

"Shut up, Dom," Luke says, causing Dom to chuckle.

"Alright, we'll be back ASAP," I say, gripping my cousin's extended hand and getting pulled in.

"Don't get yourself killed, bud," he whispers. "If you do, I'll bring you back and kill you myself."

I laugh and pat him on the arm before backing away. Kiera starts walking away first, causing Dom to wolf whistle, likely because he's staring at her ass. She flips him off, causing him to laugh again. Shaking our heads, Luke and I follow Kiera out, the medic wishing us good luck.

I hope that guy can keep those patients safe, especially Luigi and Dom.

My hand pulls the carbine's charging handle back and the spent casing flies out. I let the charging handle go before tapping on the forward assist. I aim the down the ACOG at a fairly close zombie and squeeze the trigger, a bullet smacking into the freak's neck. I'm just going to marvel at how the medic couldn't clear the jam again. I don't know for sure, but isn't this part of basic training? Ah, maybe the dude was just panicking...

"Where now?" Kiera asks, her voice still shaky.

"To war," I reply. Kiera and Luke both raise eyebrows. "This is a basically a war, right?"

"Kinda," Luke says. "But-"

"But nothing! We're gonna kill some freaksacks and that's that!"

They don't argue and I start running towards gunfire, them in tow.

This is crazy. We were supposed to be safe here. I don't know how the undead could have gotten in unless some were already here or someone was bitten and turned, biting others and it just went on and on.

The three of us keep running, taking out zombies as we see them, but we stumble upon a couple Marines outside of a Humvee with a mounted MG trying to beat back a crowd of the undead.

Luke and I start shooting, but Kiera doesn't. The bullets from the Glock, however inaccurate, and the M4 wreak havoc amongst the undead when combined with the Marines' ammunition, and soon, the Humvee has a few bloody decals on it.

When the last of the zombies fall, one of the Marines hops into the gunner's seat while the other runs to us.

"Thanks for the help," he says, holding his hand out.

I take it and shake, Luke doing the same after. "Anytime," Luke says.

"No bites on either of you?" I ask, earning a shake of the head. "Good. I take it you're gonna gun down as many as you can with the MG?"

The Marine nods. "That we are. If you guys didn't come along, we might not've been able to."

Well, I doubt that. "Good luck, man. Stick it to the undead!"

"Oorah!" the Marine shouts.

"Oorah!" Luke and I repeat as the Marine runs to the Humvee.

The Marine hops into the driver's seat and starts the engine, pulling out as quick as he can. The guy in the turret waves to us as they go to demolish some meatsacks.

That was a little weird, come to think of it. Maybe they're just really friendly Marines or something.

"I think it's a good thing we saved those guys," Kiera says.

"Yeah, but you didn't shoot at all," Luke says with a sassy attitude. I didn't expect Luke to get sassy.

"Whatever."

"Look, it is a good thing we did," I says. "Those guys have an MG, which means the zombies'll be dispatched of quicker."

The two of them nod in agreement and we start running again. We run past a Marine trying to engage in fisticuffs with a zombie. I raise the M4, aim, and pull the trigger, doming the undead bastard. The Marine falls on her ass and sighs.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" I ask, running up and kneeling down next to her. "Are you bit?"

The female Marine shakes her head, red hair matted with some undead blood. "No, all that shithead did was pull out some hair. Thanks for that."

She picks up a gun out of the grass and stands. The gun in question is the Italian-made M1014 semi-automatic shotgun. Her name tag reads **KNUTSON** and her shoulder patch indicates her rank to be that of a corporal.

She turns around and runs off the way we were. Why not follow? I start to run, but get hit rather hard on the ass.

"Shit!" I yelp, pain shooting through my hindquarters. I spin around to see Kiera holding the barrel of her Glock and Luke holding his hands up.

"You were flirting with her, huh?" she says with an accusing attitude.

Shaking my head, I turn back around. We don't have time for this, but what the hell caused her to think that? I don't really find that Marine attractive, anyway, and besides, it's not like I'm dating Kiera. I'm not being dense, just focused on the task at hand.

"We'll discuss that later," I say, gripping the foregrip. "For now, we need to get rid of these freaksacks."

We run after Corporal Knutson, though Kiera's extremely reluctant to, and reach another tent with some trees nearby, where some Marines are pinned down by a mob of the dead. This is ridiculous now, since there's no way so many zombies could have broken through. I thought it wasn't so widespread, but I guess I'm wrong.

"FUCK!" I hear one Marine shout. "OUT OF AMMO!"

I spot Corporal Knutson engaging the undead from the side, pumping them full of buckshot.

"GET DOWN!" I shout to the Marines, aiming down the scope. Hopefully no one gets up and starts dancing.

I raise the carbine to head-level, squeeze the trigger, and strafe to the right, unleashing a hail of bullets that creates a shower of blood and brain. I know a couple bullets went astray, either missing or hitting somewhere besides the head, but that's fine. I keep the trigger pulled until the magazine runs dry and slap the mag release. Sliding that magazine into one of the pouches, I slide out a fresh one and slap it in, pulling the charging handle and hitting the forward assist.

Dom and Kiera start shooting at the crowd as well, and to conserve ammo for the M4, I sling it and draw the G22. Since four people are shooting, the crowd diminishes quickly, but the amount of blood and gore rises exponentially.

The last of the zombies fall and we walk toward the Marines.

"How many more groups like this do you think there are?" Luke asks.

"Like I'd know," I say. "Hopefully this is either the last or there aren't many more."

"I could've handled it," Knutson says when we reach the group of once-pinned Marines.

"Help's always a nice thing, Corporal," I say, helping one of the Marines to his feet.

"Are you with the Army?" the Marine asks. There's blood on his name tag, so I can't tell who he is.

I shake my head. "No, I'm not. I'm actually just a civilian."

"Civvie or not," another Marine says. "We appreciate the help from all four of you. Looking good today, by the way," he adds to Knutson.

"Piss off, Randy," she bluntly says, sliding more shells into the M1014.

"Alright, let's ignore this little lover's spat and get down to brass tax," I say, looking at the Marines. "How did the zombies get in, do you know?"

"Those ones just showed up," Randy says. "We started shooting them and more kept coming. Kill one and get five, that's what it was like."

I nod. "They're attracted to sound... Are any of you bit?"

Randy nods and points to a man sitting and leaning on one of the trees. "Chang is, why?"

"I'm gonna have to shoot him." All of the Marines draw their weapons and aim at me while I aim the Glock at Chang.

"Everyone calm down!" Kiera says, her voice shaky and full of fear.

Randy ignores her and continues aiming his SCAR-H at me. "You aren't going to shoot him, else we'll shoot you. One bite won't do shit to a Marine."

"And he's gonna turn if I- Goddammit, I'm not repeating this crap again. Just wait, then."

I lower the Glock and step back, the Marines lowering their rifles and shotguns at the same time.

"You'd think they'd've known," Luke says.

"I'm surprised you're being so attentive, Luke," I say. "It's unlike you."

"You just think I'm not."

"You do give off that kind of vibe," Kiera adds, earning a sideways glance from Luke. She giggles, though she still seems scared.

I look at Chang's body and he starts to get up. "What did I tell you?" Randy says, looking straight at me. "Oorah, bitch."

"Just wait," I say, casually raising the G22 at the zombie, who's now groaning.

Randy walks towards Zombie Chang. "You alright, Chang? You look pale."

"Because he's a zombie," I mutter. Some of the Marines look at me, so I guess they heard me.

Chang grabs hold of Randy and tries taking a bite out of the still-living Marine's neck, but I pull the trigger. The bullet smacks into Chang's cheek, causing a few teeth to pop out of his mouth. I have no clue how that's even possible.

Chang gets knocked back enough for Randy to kick away the zombie and I squeeze the trigger again, this time hitting the eye. Blood flies out and Chang falls over, leaving Randy to stand there in shock.

"He... he tried biting me..." I hear him say as I walk to him.

"And that's why you should've listened to me," I say matter-of-factly. "When you get bit, you turn. Simple as that, so the best thing to do is kill the infected person before they turn."

"How do you know?" another Marine asks, lowering his M16A4.

"I've had to do it several times already." I'm blunt and grim, and I don't like it. Time for a change of subject. "I'll go with my two compadres to check on Colonel Marston. The rest of you should check and see if there're any more undead freaks that need re-killing."

Randy raises his SCAR-H at me again. "Why should we listen to you?"

Corporal Knutson walks over to him and forcibly lowers his rifle. "Randy, I'd've died were it not for him. You would've, too."

Randy scoffs and turns away. "You heard him. Let's move out!"

The Marines all move out and begin their search, but the corporal stays behind and walks to me, slapping my back. I can just feel Kiera's eyes burning into me right now.

"Like I said, thanks for the help back there," she says, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. "What's your name, kid?"

"Collins. Jake Collins." Smooth, Double-Oh Seven.

The corporal pats my back. "Good luck, Jake. I hope to see you and your pals around again."

She runs to catch up with the other Marines, leaving the three of us alone. I turn around warily, fearing Kiera's wrath. She just has her head down, though, which is unsettling.

"You alright?" I ask, Luke being no help at all.

I probably shouldn't have asked, because when she looks up, there's a fire raging in her eyes. Yep, she's pissed.

I don't say anything, and just motion for them to follow instead. We retrace our steps to where I found them, and then I begin retracing my steps to the command tent. Most of the zombies are already dead, but I get the feeling that's because of the Humvees with machine guns mounted on them, the dudes we saved included. Blood stains the once-lush grass and the once-gray asphalt path. This is now less of a Japanese garden in the twenty-tens and more of a Vietnamese forest in the late sixties.

We reach the command tent, which has blood and gore plastered on the outside. There're grunts from the inside, which means...

"The Colonel's in trouble!" I say, unsure of why I care so much. Maybe it's because he seems like a nice guy or because he's a USMC colonel. I dunno.

I rush through the tent's flaps and run to the back, where the Colonel's "room" is, hopping over the scattered corpses. Luke and Kiera are right behind me, and I enter the Colonel's "room" with the carbine raised. The Colonel's grappling with a zombie, so I aim at the freak's head and squeeze the trigger.

The bullet escapes the barrel and penetrates the zombie's ear, saving the Colonel a bloody shower. The zombie, a civilian, goes limp and falls backward, hitting the ground with a thud. The Colonel's face is pale and he plops into his chair, breathing heavily.

"Colonel Marston, are you alright?" I ask, flicking the M4's safety on and slinging it.

"Collins?" he asks, reaching into his desk and pulling out a bottle of brandy.

"Yes, sir," I say with a salute this time.

"At ease," he says emotionlessly, pouring the brandy into a shot glass. He downs the brandy and looks up, noticing my friends. "Who're they?"

"Two of my friends. They helped me secure the infirmary, save a pair of Marines who are now using a Humvee with a mounted MG, and save another squad of Marines." I clear my throat and wipe some blood off of my lips. "You're not bit, are you sir?"

The Colonel pours more brandy and downs it again. "No. Daniels went to go get more men, leaving me here. Some of those things got in, so I killed them. However, as you saw, I forgot about one, but no, I have not been bit."

The Colonel takes a long drink of brandy from the bottle and runs his hands through his hair afterward. He's not taking this well, and I don't blame him. Granted, I'm taking it all too well while everyone else is taking it all too hard.

"Collins, you remind me of another Collins." The Colonel takes another swig out of the brandy bottle. "I'm promoting you to the rank of First Lieutenant in the Marine Corps," he hiccups.

I exchange glances with Luke and Kiera, who are about as confused as I am. "But sir, I'm not even in the USMC."

The Colonel waves his hand. "I don't give a single fuck, Jacob! You saved me and dozens of people, Marines included! You are hereby a Marine, regardless of age or whatever the hell else." He takes yet another swig of brandy.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the Colonel can't handle his liquor whatsoever and is completely plastered, or that's some really strong brandy that's possibly mixed with whiskey and vodka.

... ¿Por qué no los dos?

I shouldn't refuse the Colonel, so... Do I bow or something? I don't know...

The Colonel pulls out his radio and presses the PTT button. "Daniels, how is everything?"

"It seems it's all under control for the most part, sir. That kid's something though, sir. The infirmary's clear and the medics are saying that he came in with two others and secured it. Several Marines also said he and his buddies saved their asses."

"Thanks, Rowan." The Colonel sets down the radio and looks at me, his eyebrows raised. "Well?"

"Uh, it's an honor, sir," I say, unsure of what else to do.

The Colonel nods and points to my friends. "You two! PFCs, the both of you. Same with your other buddies."

Why do I have the highest rank? No, better yet, why are we all being conscripted into the USMC? Will we have to do basic training and all of that fun stuff, or...?

"Are you serious, sir?" I ask, glancing at Luke and Kiera.

Colonel Marston stares at me. "Lieutenant, I am one hundred percent serous. You proved that you're able to lead, and all of you proved able to handle a task such as this calmly, possibly even affecting the outcome of the battle! For that reason, I'm making you all honorary members of the USMC, even your friends in the infirmary. If your abilities are any indication, I bet they're just as good." He holds out his hand. "Welcome to the Marine Corps, _Lieutenant _Collins."

I grasp his hand and shake. "Like I said, it's an honor, sir." But it's a confusing-as-fuck honor if any.

This is so surreal. This cannot possibly be something the Colonel would do when sober, could it? Kiera and Luke also shake the Colonel's hand, and the Colonel cocks an eyebrow at Kiera.

"Lieutenant, would this lovely young lady happen to be your girlfriend?"

One, I have to get used to being called Lieutenant. Two, no she's no-

"Yes, sir!" Kiera shouts, hugging me.

God-son of a bitching-dammit!

The Colonel chuckles. "Good for you, Collins. I'll radio into the armory for them to let you guys in, as well as getting you proper uniforms. For now..." He cups his hands with the back of his head. "Go get some food from the mess hall. I'll have Daniels get you when everything's ready."

I nod. "Yes, sir."

He shoos us away. "Dismissed."

The three of us walk out of the command tent, though Kiera's not really walking. She's still hugging me.

When we're outside of the tent, I start walking towards the infirmary instead of the mess hall. I don't even know where the mess hall is.

"This is just... wow," Luke says as I pull out the Glock, flick its safety on, and slide it back into my pocket.

"Yeah," I say. "Kiera won't get off of me, I know."

"Oh fine," Kiera huffs, letting go of me.

"No, I mean what just happened," my pale friend says. "We're all Marines now."

"That..." I sigh, unsure of how to feel. "Honestly, I'm honored and all, but I still keep wondering why the hell he made us Marines."

"I'm wondering that, too," Luke says.

We continue walking in relative silence, an occasional gunshot ringing out. The situation's mainly under control, like Daniels said, so that's good.

Dad'd be extremely proud if he found out I was made a Marine by a Colonel, but that doesn't mean I'm wondering why. All I did was kill the undead and save some people with the help of my friends. That's it. How does that constitute conscription into the Marines?

Despite all of my confusion, I still can't wait to hear Dom's reaction.

* * *

**Meanwhile, in the command tent at USMC Outpost Kubota Garden (Seattle, WA)...**

* * *

Colonel Marston ran his hands through his hair and took another swig of brandy. The Lieutenant seemed confused about suddenly becoming a Marine.

The Colonel knew that, under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have been able to appoint the five teenagers, let alone a civilian, to any military position in the Marine Corps. _But these aren't normal circumstances..._

Colonel Marston picked up the handheld radio, changed the frequency, and pressed the PTT button. "Yoshi, do you read me?"

"Yes, sir," the Major who ran the armory said.

"Be prepared to get three uniforms ready."

"Why, sir?"

The Colonel took another drink of brandy. "Because, we have five new Marines. Four men, two of which are in the infirmary, and one woman. I'll get them sent down for sizing in a bit. They're also allowed access to the weaponry, just not any explosives or heavy weapons we have."

"Yes, sir."

The Major was another trusted man of the Colonel's. He, like Daniels, served under the Colonel for a number of years. The armory was actually just a transport truck because of how impractical it was to set up a building that would likely be moved. The Colonel changed the frequency once more and pressed the PTT button again.

"Daniels, are you there?"

"Yes sir," Daniels' voice came through.

"I heard some gunfire. I thought you said everything was under control."

"For the most part, it is, sir."

"What about barracks? What's the status of the ones in construction and do we have any free spots in the ones already available?"

"Uh, we have two barrack buildings constructed. Why do you ask about free spots, sir?"

They were just shelters similar to FEMA trailers, so unlike the armory, the barrack buildings would be easy to dismantle.

The Colonel swore under his breath. "Daniels, it's because we have five new Marines and they need a place to stay."

"Sir, you don't mean-"

"Yes I do, Captain."

"But sir, you can't do that!"

"I know we don't have a DCO program, Captain. However, that's under normal circumstances and we're under martial law. So I bent the rules, so what?"

"I don't agree with this at all, sir."

The Colonel scoffed. "Daniels, I never said you had to, and quite frankly, whether you do or not isn't important."

"But what about command? What'll they say?"

"I haven't heard from HQ since last night. I don't think it'll matter anyway. These kids won't be on payroll."

"I still don't know, sir."

The Colonel groaned. "Captain, I don't care. The look in that boy's eyes when he saved my ass from that thing was fierce, something only visible in the eyes of a leader." The Colonel put his feet on his desk and leaned back. "Besides, he's got a cute girlfriend."

"That can't be a valid reason."

"No, the girlfriend part isn't." The Colonel cleared his throat. "You remember back in oh-eight, when we were in Afghanistan?"

"What about it, sir?"

"You can stop saying 'sir' so much, Captain. Anyway, remember when the Taliban surprise attacked our camp and pinned us down?" The Colonel couldn't remember how many Taliban there were, but they numbered in the hundreds.

"They outnumbered us by a large margin. Twenty Marines against hundreds of Taliban. It was a fair fight, but you called in air support and evac helos. We fought them until the air support arrived, but the evac helos never came."

The Colonel chuckled. _Fair, but dirty fight. _"Exactly. I ordered you all to fall back and wait for extraction while I distracted them, but one Marine refused to go."

"Captain Collins, correct?"

"_Then-_Captain Collins, yes. He looked at me square in the eye and said, with a similar fire in his eyes, 'Lieutenant Colonel, I'm not leaving you here to die.'" The Colonel put his feet on the ground and leaned forward. "That man killed fifty or so Taliban before evac arrived. One man, Rowan!"

"But he got shot when he boarded one of the helos."

"Irrelevant. We both got shot, if you don't remember. Phil Collins, not the singer mind you, is one hell of a Marine. He helped me get to evac when I got shot before being shot himself."

"Sir, what does that have to do with you giving civilians, underage ones at that, ranks in the Marine Corps? Do you think it's something to do with the Collins name or do you think that Jacob kid is Collins' son?"

The Colonel leaned back again. "They do look similar, Rowan. Very similar, and their mannerisms are also similar. There's little doubt in my mind that Jacob Collins is Lieutenant Colonel Collins' son."

"I still don't think that's a val-"

"I don't care, Captain!" the Colonel angrily said. "He's now a Lieutenant and you're gonna like it. If he is the Lieutenant Colonel's son, then he'll be an exceptional leader."

"Sir-"

"Daniels, spare me your disagreement. For now, I want you to check the mess hall and the infirmary for _Lieutenant_ Collins and the new PFCs, then take them to the armory and the barracks. After that, bring the Lieutenant back here."

"But sir-"

"That's an order, Captain."

There was a short pause. "Yes, sir," the Captain said emotionlessly.

The Colonel set the radio down and took another swig of the brandy before capping it. He set the bottle back into his desk drawer and grabbed a pen and paper.

He bent the rules to conscript those teenagers into the USMC, giving them ranks and all. He knew they could handle the undead, but had to put them through a form of basic training, regardless.

The Colonel began writing down plans for a rudimentary basic training program, one that would last a couple days at the most due to current circumstances, when a Marine burst into the command tent.

The Colonel looked up and immediately recognized the Marine: Sergeant Reynolds from Communications.

"Yes, sergeant?" the Colonel asked, looking back down to continue writing.

"Sir! You've got a call."

_It can wait._ "Tell those damn telemarketers to fuck off, it's the damn apocalypse."

"Sir, it's from the President."

_The President?!_ The Colonel stood immediately and ushered Reynolds to follow as he left the tent. "Did he say what he wanted?"

Reynolds shook his head. "He just requested to speak with you, sir."

_This cannot possibly be good._

The Colonel and Sergeant Reynolds quickly reached the communications tent. The sergeant led Colonel Marston to the phone and the Colonel pulled the handset up to his ear.

"Mister President," the Colonel greeted. "You wanted to speak with me?"

"Indeed, Colonel Marston." The President sounded nervous. "The Japanese Prime Minister has requested American support, and I've decided to send none other than the best."

"The USMC, huh?"

"Correct, Colonel. Japan is a close ally, and sending the best is a sign of our friendship."

"Go on."

"I've ordered that Marines be sent to Japan within two days time. The Joint Chiefs of Staff and I have agreed that we would like you to help lead these Marines overseas."

"I'd be honored, sir."

"Excellent, Colonel. Gather up some men and head to Oak Harbor in two days. From there, you will fly to Tokonosu Offshore Airport and assist JGSDF forces in containing the threat."

"But what about the homefront?"

"Her Majesty's Armed Forces, specifically the Special Air Service and the Royal Marines, are sending support, as well as the German Bundesmarine."

_So we're accepting foreign help, huh?_

"Can I count on you, Colonel?"

"Yes, Mister President."

"Good. I'm glad you're onboard."

The President ended the call and the Colonel stood, his demeanor serious. The President ordered that Marines support the Japanese despite the fact that the situation wasn't even contained in the States.

"Are you okay, sir?" Reynolds asked.

"I'm fine. Let me know if anything else comes up, alright?" The Colonel started to walk out of the tent.

"Yes sir!"

The Colonel stepped outside of the tent and looked around. _We just started making this place a base of operations and now I have to pack up and head to the weirdest nation on the damn Earth. The undead there are probably wearing miniskirts and cat ears..._

He'd have to decide who would lead these Marines and he still needed to finish those basic training plans... _Screw the plans! They won't prove a damn thing for these recruits! Two days of boot won't do shit. _The Colonel sighed and walked back to the command tent. The Colonel picked up the radio once more once he took his seat.

"Daniels," he said after he depressed the PTT button. "Don't take them to the armory, bring them straight to me."

"Yes sir," the Captain said.

Colonel Marston leaned back and exhaled. He had one hell of a fun time ahead.

* * *

**Meanwhile, in the infirmary at USMC Outpost Kubota Garden (Seattle, WA)...**

* * *

"Let me get this straight: you're a lieutenant, while we're all privates of the first class?" my cousin asks.

"That's about right, Dom," I reply.

"That's bullshit!"

Kiera chuckles at Dom, as does Luke. Kiera's holding my hand now, which makes no sense, but I don't feel like arguing with her. Dom's been glaring at us every-so-often, too. Meanwhile, Luigi's been out for god knows how long.

"It's out of my control," I say.

"They can't do that though, right?"

"What, appoint civilians to military positions?" Dom nods. "I'm pretty sure the Marines can't, but he did anyway. It's likely going to be unofficial, though."

"But Luigi and I aren't cleared to do stuff. I doubt Weegee'll be for a while. I tell ya what though, getting a bullet pulled out without anesthesia is a bitch with a capital B."

I laugh. "You've been through worse."

"Yeah, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it hurt like hell."

"Oh quit whining," Kiera jabs.

"If I could get up, we'd be fighting."

"Outside, right now."

"Just beat the hell out of a man that can't stand why don'tcha!"

Luke laughs hard at that, which isn't surprising. Luke often laughs when Dom gets mad.

"Excuse me!"

A loud voice resonates through the infirmary. I turn around to see Captain Daniels walking towards us.

"Lieutenant," he says, distaste in his voice. "And you two," he points to Kiera and Luke, "follow me."

I look at Dom and shrug while he shoos us. The Captain walks out of the infirmary with us in tow.

"Where are we going?" Luke asks.

"To see the Colonel."

What's he want now? To strip us of our ranks? That, honestly, would make more sense than letting us keep them. Daniels stops outside of the command tent.

"You know your way from here." With that, he walks off. Damn. There's Captain Obvious, Captain America, Captain Planet, Captain Hindsight, and Captain Cockblock, but that guy's Captain Douchebag.

The three of us walk into the tent and back to where the Colonel is. We're greeted by a seemingly stressed Colonel Marston. I salute, which the other two try to do and fail.

"At ease," the Colonel says. "Jake, take a seat."

I nod and sit down. "What did you call us for, sir?"

"Your father... is he a Marine?"

I nod. "Yes sir. He's a Lieutenant Colonel."

"Phil?" I nod. "I knew I chose right!" he exclaims. "I knew I didn't make a mistake!"

I'm confused. "What do you mean, sir?"

"I served with your father, and I think you're just like him. In the short time I've known you, you have shown me that you have the drive of an exceptional Marine and an exceptional leader, at least in my eyes."

He stands up and starts to pace.

"I have another question."

"Go on, sir."

"What languages do you speak besides English?"

Well, this is random. "Near-fluent Japanese and basic German, sir. Why?"

The Colonel claps his hands. "Excellent, but as for why, that's neither here nor there." He scratches his neck. "Moving on, I was going to put you all through basic training, but something's come up. Instead, I'm going to put you on a rescue squad of sorts for the next two days."

"A rescue squad?" Kiera asks. "For what?"

"We've intercepted distress calls from around the Seattle area. Given your abilities when fighting those things, it seems that rescue missions would better display your skills than an extremely short boot camp."

"And when will we be sent on these missions, sir?" I ask.

"Tomorrow. You three'll get suited up and properly armed at around oh-five-hundred."

Oh damn. That's... kinda early. "Where will we sleep, sir?"

"_And _get cleaned up," Kiera angrily adds, gripping my hand tight.

"Could we just go back to the hotel?" Luke suggests.

The Colonel stops and thinks for a second. "I don't see why not. Just be sure to be here tomorrow morning, or I'll send a squad to get you." He stops pacing and looks at the three of us dead-on. "Dismissed!"

The three of us salute and leave the tent. We have to be here at eight in the morning just to start a rescue mission? I sigh. Well, he could've had us do basic training like he had planned, which wouldn't have been fun. I'm still curious as to why we're part of the Marines now. He couldn't just keep us civilians, he had to make us Marines. I sense something fishy, to be honest.

"Jake, can I drive?" Luke asks when we get close to the National Guard Humvee.

"I'd sooner run through New York City in a banana hammock while on fire and being chased by horny giraffes than let you drive."

"That's cold."

"It might not be cold enough."

Kiera lets go of my hand, finally, and goes to the passenger-side while I hop into the driver's seat. Luke hops in the back and I start the engine. The Marines at the front gate move out of the way to let us out and Kiera starts directing me back to the hotel.

The sky's orange now. I guess it's six or so... Well, what an eventful end to the day...

* * *

**Meanwhile, on a congested bridge in Tokonosu City, Japan...**

* * *

"I know we're no longer in school, but I hope that you all would continue to live with the pride your school has instilled into each and every one of you!"

Kohta looked on as Shidou-sensei gave one of his "pep-talks" to his drooling pack of stupid worshipers.

"The pride of unity," the power-crazy teacher continued. "It is the pride that will keep us together!"

Shidou began making exaggerated hand motions once more, causing Kohta to wonder if he was part-Italian.

"Not that glorious pride in ourselves, but pride as a group, a family! And realize this, my dear friends: Komuro and Miyamoto? They were unfit to be in our family."

Like Saeko, Marikawa-san, and Saya, Kohta looked at Shidou in disgust. He also looked back at the others occasionally, but mainly kept his eye on Shidou.

"This guy's a goddamn maniac," Saya remarked.

"You got that right," Saeko agreed. "Sounds like he's a recruiter from some cult religious group."

"It doesn't just sound like it, it... it is. Look at the slobbering idiots hinging on his every word, like a bunch of Scientologists... or rather, Shidoutologists... We need to get out of here."

Kohta was looking at the back of the bus the whole time and couldn't agree more. He, like Rei before him, wanted Takashi to leave Shidou at the school. Shidou was a loathsome man. Leaving him and his pack of Shidoutologists, as Saya brilliantly said, seemed like a good idea.

"Given the condition of the roads, Saeko observed, looking out the window. "It looks like we're going to have to give up our ride." She put her hand on her chin. "We have to somehow get across Onbetsu Bridge and head to the East Police Station. We're still supposed to meet up with Komuro..."

Saya readjusted her glasses. "Hmm... You're sure quite concerned about Komuro, aren't you? Aren't you worried about your _own_ family?"

"Of course I am," Saeko replied. "But my father is my only family, and he's at the dojo overseas, so the only people I need to be worrying about right now is myself and Komuro. Really don't care about anybody else."

Saya growled in response.

"And just look at me," Saeko continued. "I mean, seriously, if any of us are going to make it out of here alive, it's going to be me, right?"

Saya nervously laughed in response to Saeko. Kohta turned around completely and he disagreed with Saeko's proclamation, but he kept it to himself.

"So, where is everyone's house?" Marikawa-san asked, turning in her seat.

"The other side of the bridge," Saya said. "The same area with Komuro's."

"Oh, my parents aren't in the neighborhood," Kohta said, standing up and nervously shuffling. "But I'd go anywhere as long as I'm with Takagi..." _Good job! Bonus points!_ he commended himself.

Saya, unfortunately, backed up some in disgust.

"So tell me, Hirano," Saeko said, her eyes closed. "Where's your family? They close?"

Kohta smiled nervously. "My father is a jewelry merchant, so he's gone to Amsterdam to buy stones. My mother is a fashion designer, so she's been staying in Paris to-"

"Christ!" Saya shouted. "Do you expect us to believe all that crap?!"

Marikawa-san laughed. "And if it were a manga, daddy would be the captain of a cruise ship, a giant luxury liner!"

"My grandpa actually was," Kohta replied, scratching his head. "And my grandmother was a concert violinist!" He began to obnoxiously laugh.

"So, what're we gonna do?" the school nurse asked, standing up. "I want to come along with all of you."

"Are you sure?" Saya asked.

"Both of my parents passed away years ago and my relatives live far away. I know I shouldn't be saying this, but I think Shidou-sensei is kind of a douchebag."

Kohta, who agreed wholeheartedly, began to laugh, as did Saeko. Saya agreed, but kept a serious demeanor.

"So what do we do?" Saeko asked Saya. "I'm not very familiar with this area."

"We really need to check Onbetsu Bridge first," the pink-haired genius replied.

"Um, what's the matter everyone?" Kohta looked up to see Shidou facing the front. "We need to work together, otherwise none of us are ever gonna-"

Saya spun. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm gonna pass, Shidou-sensei. We've got our own plans, and FYI, this is no field trip! I have no obligation to be with you! I never had any classes with you anyway."

Shidou lowered his eyes and grinned devilishly. "I see." He put his hands together. "If that's what you've decided, go right ahead. I won't stop you, Takagi. How could I? This is a free country, not some sort of iron-fisted dictatorship." He chuckled and disturbingly licked his lips. "However, I'm afraid you will have to remain, Marikawa-san."

The blonde nurse gasped in disbelief and Kohta stood up, holding his nail gun.

"Losing the doctor is a major blow to our current situation," the Stalin-like teacher continued, adjusting his glasses. "Would you please stay? Whaddya say?" He began walking forward. "There are students relying on you..."

Kohta quickly shouldered the nail gun and pulled the trigger, the nail nicking Shidou's cheek and embedding itself in a seat.

"You-you shot at me!" the teacher exclaimed.

"I missed you on purpose," Kohta said in a deadpan manner. "You douchebag."

"B-but you're not a violent student like that!"

"How many of my fellow students do you think I killed in school yesterday? And I can kill you, too!" Kohta gripped the improvised rifle-like weapon tighter. "For all the ways you always made fun of me!" Kohta shouted at the top of his lungs, remembering how he was bullied in Shidou's class.

"I was holding back," the nail gun-toting teen continued. "I was holding back for a _long _time! I was holding it back because I just wanted to have a normal life, but there's no need to do that anymore! Nothing we know is normal anymore, that's why I'm able to kill now!" He pulled the nail gun in a little tighter. "I can even kill living people, too... Maybe start with the ones who made fun of me!"

Shidou backed up. "I made fun? You misunderstood! I've always held you in such high esteem!"

Kohta turned his head and looked at the three girls. "If you wanna go, now's the time to do it! I'll make sure he doesn't stop you."

Saeko grinned and opened the door. "You're such a man. I'm impressed."

The four amigos exited the bus, Kohta keeping the nail gun trained on Shidou the whole time. He left the bus last and slammed the door shut. The four ran up the stairs next to the bridge and away from the insane teacher.

_If only I woulda killed him!_ Kohta angrily thought as the group kept moving.

* * *

**AN: I anticipate issues to be had with this chapter, and quite frankly, I don't blame you. For clarification, I did look into the whole conscription of civilians thing as much as possible. Also, I might start leaving a song title in the AN occasionally (in Japanese quotes), kind of like a mirror to the different end songs in the anime (which I use the English dub of for the scenes in Japan, obviously).**

**How will Luigi and Dom do with their injuries? Who will Jake, Luke, and Kiera be sent to save first? WHAT ABOUT THE PRESIDENT?!**

**(There was gonna be more in this AN, but as usual, I forgot half of what I was gonna write.)**

**Also, yeah Grand Theft Auto V! GOTY! (I'm a huge Grand Theft Auto fan, FYI; I also don't really like how the VGAs/VGX are/is set up, but VGX was a tad better than the VGAs. The new Tom Clancy game looks cool, as does Remedy's new game.) [There're a couple lines similar to some in the beginning of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. If you can spot them and properly ID them in a review, you win virtual cookies and maybe something else.]**

**Until next time, MV101 out!**

**「Bad Moon Rising」**


	7. Onward, to the Land of the Rising Dead!

Chapter Seven: Onward, to the Land of the Rising Dead!

* * *

**Z-Day + 2, 12:30 AM EST**

**Inside Air Force One on the USS George Washington, American Waters**

* * *

"Taking off in five, Mister President," the pilot said via intercom.

"Very well, Captain," the President said, speaking back into the intercom.

The President had an impromptu meeting in Ottawa with the Canadian Prime Minister and the Mexican President regarding how to contain the threat in North America. After he went to Ottawa, he'd fly down to Mexico City with the Mexican President to figure out how to contain the pandemic in Latin America. South America wasn't on his list of places to go, but he had a feeling he'd end up in Rio de Janeiro or Buenos Aires for a conference.

The President sat back and relaxed until the plane took off. _I feel bad for everyone who's not as safe as me. It's a damn shame._

"Mister President." The President looked up to see the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff walking to him.

"General," the President acknowledged as the Chairman took a seat across from the Commander-in-Chief.

"We need to discuss the possible usage of nuclear force."

"No," the President bluntly stated. "We don't even know who caused this! Causing a nuclear winter'll just make things much worse."

"But sir, we can take down North Korea, Russia, and China while they're down!"

The President shook his head. "I see Korea reunifying if this whole thing blows over soon. You've seen the reports, General. Pyongyang is the site of revolution and revolt of the North Koreans. Kim Jong-un is probably dead by now."

"But sir-"

"I said no, General. China, like North Korea, is going through a revolution. As for Russia, we spent over forty years in a war with them that hinged on nuclear weapons! Attacking them now, with nukes, will just destroy any and all trust we've managed to build with them!"

The Chairman just stared at the President blankly.

"That's an order, General," the President growled.

"Understood," the Chairman said, standing up.

The Chairman walked away, but the President couldn't help but doubt that he understood entirely. The General was a hardheaded man that always sought a fight.

_I just hope those missiles don't get launched..._

* * *

**Meanwhile, seven hours later in USMC Outpost Kubota Garden (Seattle, WA)...**

* * *

At least this is comfortable. All cotton-y and stuff. The Army uniform was comfy, but the Marine uniform feels even more comfortable, though I'm not quite sure why. My hand slithers down to the leg holster and my fingers touch around on the Colt M1911A1 in it. I'm honestly surprised I found a 1911 in the armory, right next to a weapon case labelled "M45." I think this one was issued in the early nineties, even though the Colt wasn't standard issue then, having been replaced by the Beretta. Regardless of when it was issued, this thing hasn't seen much usage, since it's basically brand new.

The Colonel pulls out a manila folder and sets it on the table. I glance at Kiera and Luke, who both seem somewhat relaxed, yet extremely awkward. Kiera has an M1014 semi-automatic shotgun, while Luke has an H&K MP5A3 SMG with a grip and red dot sight. Both have Beretta M9s as sidearms, but I went the extra mile to find the beauty in my holster.

Alongside those two are two other Marines, Corporal Vance and Private Simmons. They're holding M16A1 and HK416 rifles, respectively. Simmons looks of Irish descent, having ginger hair and freckles, while Vance is bald and seems to be of Caribbean descent, likely Dominican.

"Alright, Marines." The Colonel slides some papers out of the folder. "Listen up. Your target is the Seattle PD south precinct building. Several calls were intercepted coming from that specific building, the most in fact. Most of the calls stated that there were few police officers and they were largely defenseless. That was both yesterday and late in the night two days ago."

"Again, why haven't any teams gone in, sir?" Luke asks, earning a glare from me. We were already told why.

"Private Kowalski, I've told you before. We couldn't spare the Marines from securing this location."

One, I'm glad I told the Colonel what Luke's last name is earlier. It's just too funny when he says it so seriously. Two, however, this place was definitely real secure yesterday evening. Like, President-tier secure. Locked down super damn tight. Without a shadow of a doubt, it was the safest place on Earth.

"Moving on, the building is on South Myrtle Street. I'm sure Private Ramirez will be able to spot it." Kiera nods in response. "You are to rescue as many survivors as possible and radio in for evac. I've got a few helos coming in from Oak Harbor for more than one reason, so call in with how many helicopters you'll need. There is a chance you won't see a single one of those things, but don't get too comfy and let your guard down. They're everywhere."

"Just how do you know that there are still survivors there, sir?" I ask, playing with the radio on my vest. I think this gear's new, but I'm not sure. Seems like it.

"We're still intercepting calls. Primarily from cell phones, but there've been some from radios within the precinct building."

I'm going to assume they're not really intercepting them in an NSA-style and just tapping into 911 calls and records. Why someone would call 911 while in a police station seems kinda silly, but this is the undead apocalypse. Nothing's logical anymore, such as using helicopters to...

"Sir, why use helicopters for extraction and not Humvees?" I ask.

The Colonel cocks an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Lieutenant?"

"Helicopters create much more sound than Humvees and those things are attracted to sound. If anything, we'll just draw more of them back here by using helos."

"Lieutenant, we're gonna use the helos regardless, so don't argue."

"But, sir-"

"That's an order, Marine," the Colonel forcefully says.

I nod. "Yes, sir." I swear this is a big mistake.

The Colonel stares at me for a second and then swings his vision to the entire group. "Moving on. I hope you've noticed the radios, Marines. I don't want a play-by-play, just keep that in mind. If anything comes up that you feel needs my confirmation, radio in. Any questions?"

I anxiously twist on the foregrip of the M16A3 with my left hand and shake my head. The others shake their heads as well, making the Colonel clap his hands. "Lieutenant, you're Metal-One. Vance, Metal-Two. Simmons is Three, Ramirez Four, and Kowalski, you're Five. Now, move out, Marines. Pile into an HMMVW and head to the precinct. We'll keep in touch via radio."

There's a collective "Yes, sir!" from three people, Luke and Kiera excluded. The five of us walk to the Humvee and Vance gets into the driver's seat. I hop in the back with Luke and Simmons while Kiera sticks up front to provide directions.

Vance starts the engine and pulls out, the Marines at the front barricade moving everything out of the way. He makes a left when we pull out past the barricade and goes straight.

"Lieutenant," Simmons says, leaning forward in his seat. "What's our plan of attack?"

"We'll have to see when we get there," I reply, leaning back.

I prop the M16A3 against the seat in front of me and pull out the combat knife I got from the armory. Examining it, it seems that this thing's sharper than the one the National Guardsman had. Huh, this is good. The sun's not even close to being out yet, so there's no light about to reflect off of this blade, even if I wasn't in the Humvee.

I slide the knife back into its sheath and grunt. This whole mission reeks. Of what, I don't know. I just have a bad feeling, especially about those helos.

"Metal Team, do you read me?" The voice is a little fuzzy, but I know it quite well.

I grab my radio, press the PTT button, and speak first. "Dom?"

"Right and wrong, Metal-One. On the radio, I'm Headquarters or HQ. The Colonel is Headquarters-"

"Headquarters-Actual, I know," I say.

"I'm gonna ask again, do you read me?"

He's gonna have fun with this. "Affirmative, HQ."

"Good. Now, tell Luke I said don't be a pussy. HQ out."

"Copy, HQ."

Luke already heard the message, which is responded to by a shake of the head. I put the radio back and lean back once more. I don't think proper voice procedure is going to be used that often with Dom on the radio.

After several minutes of relative silence and about twenty hit and runs, the Humvee comes to a stop. Tension lingers inside the vehicle.

"Why are we stopping?" I ask.

"For one, we're here," Kiera answers.

"For two," Vance says, turning around. "Take a look in front."

I lean forward and look at the precinct building. Zombies, at least fifty, are crowded right around the front entryway. Damn, I hate it when my bad gut feelings are right. But why didn't they notice the Humvee already? It's louder than Dom when he snores.

That's it! We get Dom to snore- wait, what the hell am I thinking? We use the Humvee to our advantage.

"I have an idea," I say, grabbing the M16A3. "Everyone but the Corporal, get out of the Humvee."

"Why?" Vance asks.

I open my door and start sliding out. "We're gonna wait here. What I want you to do, Corporal, is pull up next to those zombies and rev the engine. After you get their attention, lead them away from the building and wait. When that's done, use the radio and contact me. I'll give you further orders."

He grimaces, but nods. "Yes, sir."

"Don't call me sir. I'm younger than you."

"Sure thing, Lieutenant. Good luck."

"Same to you, Corporal."

I slide out of the Humvee, close the door, and motion to the other three to take cover behind an abandoned car. I join them and then motion for Vance to proceed as planned.

The Corporal pulls up to the crowd and revs the engine, attracting the attention of those not already interested in the engine's noise. The zombies start shambling towards the Humvee and Vance drives away, zombies in tow. A fairly clear path is left for us to enter.

"Now we move," I say, taking point.

With the Privates following, I jog across the street and towards the door. There are still some zombies, but they're not that close to us.

A slightly sloped cement slab with shrubbery beside it rises to the door, which has a couple zombies outside of it. One keeps walking into the railing and backing up when it feels the rail's resistance.

I'm glad I attached a sling to this rifle. I sling the M16 and draw the knife, gesturing for the others to stay behind me and provide cover. I unholster the Colt and dash to the first zombie, which is facing away. Raising the knife, I quickly move it forward, the blade touching the right side of the throat, and slash to the left, slitting the zombie's throat. If I were to move slow, I'd get bit.

Blood spurts out of the zombie's throat and I retract the knife, jabbing it into the back of the undead freak's neck. Blood runs down the zombie's back from its neck and it falls down with a thud, making the other two zombies turn towards it. Unsure if I killed it, I curb stomp its skull, ensuring its redeath.

Shit, what about those two? I wish we had suppressors. Maybe next time we'll get some. I walk forward and slide the knife right into the next zombie's eye as its arms extend to grab me. It feels like I penetrated right into the brain. Yanking the knife out, the zombie falls down, arms still extended. Movement ceases, which is a good thing.

Simmons comes out of nowhere and bashes the last zombie in the head with his HK hard enough to cause an audible skull fracture. The zombie collapses and the Private crushes the skull with his boot.

"Good job," I say. "That was a pretty hard hit."

The Private doesn't do anything. In fact, he looks a little mortified. Instinctively, I grab him and shake him a little, Kiera and Luke awkwardly passing us and standing next to the door.

"Dammit Simmons, get a hold of yourself," I calmly say.

He looks at me. "You've done this before?"

"Several times," Luke interjects. I'd glare at him, but I have done it several times.

"This is fuckin' insane," he murmurs, shaking his head in disgust.

"You're goddamn right," Kiera says.

"Never mind that," I say. "We can't stand here and feel disgusted about surviving. We're here to rescue people, Marines. Let's get to it."

Simmons, Luke, and Kiera all nod. Damn, public speaking class works wonders. Ha, and they said a speech about why toilets are an amazing invention was a stupid idea... Maybe it was

I shake my head. No time to reminisce. Taking point once more, my arm extends to pull one of the two doors open... But the glass is shattered and the rudimentary barricade is knocked over.

I motion for the others to go in and I stay back, watching the parking lot. Some zombies are slowly walking towards us, but I don't think they'll come here. It's not like they have a truly functioning brain or anything, right?

Luke's first to walk through the doorway and Simmons and Kiera walk through before I do. Feeling reassured that the undead won't hinder us that much, I walk through as well.

"Metal Team, what's your status, over?" Dom asks over the radio.

I grab my radio and press the PTT button. "Entered the target location now, HQ, over," I say.

"Command says that there might be Zulus in the building, over."

"Say again, HQ."

"Zombies, dipshit."

Way to break voice procedure, asshole. "Then just call 'em zombies. And what makes the Colonel think that, over?" I walk forward, taking in the brick walls and honorary plaques adorning said walls.

"Uh, hello, nine-one-one?"

The voice doesn't belong to Dom and it's even more fuzzy than before. Everyone stops and listens in with their earpieces. This makes me feel all special ops-y, honestly.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" the man continues.

"Please stay calm, sir," the 911 operator says. "What service do you require?"

"Help! That's what the hell I need!"

"Sir, where are you?"

"In the middle of fucking hell!"

"Sir, I'm going to need a location."

The man breathes heavily and tries to calm down. "The Seattle PD south precinct building. I'm locked in a room with some others in the back. Those things broke in and started biting! Those bastards!" His attempt to calm down failed, since he sounds more panicked than Luke when the Penguins would be losing and miss a chance to tie it up.

"What's your name, sir?" The operator is the calmest one in this relationship.

"Carlito Ramirez." I look at Kiera, whose eyes grow wide.

"Just hang in there Mister Ramirez, help is on the way."

"And that's the end of the call," Dom cuts in. "Got that in about ten minutes ago."

"Just after we left," I blankly state.

"Affirmative. I think you'll be fine. Orders are the same, over."

Grunting, I nod. "Copy, HQ. Metal out." I replace the radio, walking forward and gripping the M1911 tighter.

"What do we do now, sir?" Simmons asks.

"Don't call me sir," I say again. "And all we have to do is find where they are and neutralize any zombies that come between us and the survivors." I pull the hammer on the M1911 back and flick off the safety. "Oh, and stay alive, of course."

Simmons gives me a shocked look. I can't exactly blame him since I'm so calm. It unnerves me that I'm so calm, but not so at the same time. I guess the role of Lieutenant fits me.

"Stay behind me," I say, raising the Colt. A zombie stumbles into view and I readjust my aim and pull the trigger. The forty-five caliber bullet flies out and smacks into the side of the zombie's skull. Blood sprays out of both sides, the entrance and exit wounds, as does some brain matter.

Some more zombies stumble out of their "hiding spots." By that, I mean they were probably grinding up on a door or something.

Simmons, Luke, and I open fire while Kiera draws her M9. I only fire three shots, one in three separate zombies. Simmons is being smart and firing semi-auto at zombies, but Luke... He's already spent an entire magazine.

"Forward!" I shout, shooting at two more zombies, one of which is on an elevated platform. The bullet catches it in the chest and it falls, impaling itself on the flag pole conveniently placed below.

We move up, taking shots at zombies. I shoot once and hit the mag release. Sliding the magazine out, I slip it into my pocket and grab another, pushing it in. Rather than continue shooting, I hit the safety and holster the M1911, drawing the M16A3 instead.

I look for more zombies, but... Dammit, it seems we've killed them all. Blood spatters the walls, the floor, and, in one special case, a flag pole. Blood's dripping down that thing, drenching the American flag in blood. The bald eagle inside me is mad at such actions! The dead know no bounds!... Obviously, they're friggin' dead. Overreaction, much?

I breathe in some air and damn, you can really smell the gunpowder in here. It's nasty. The smoke clears and Luke reloads his MP5A3, the only one having to do so. If he wouldn't have emptied an entire magazine into three zombies... well, I can dream.

"Fan out and look for the survivors," I say. The three nod and we move further back, each taking a different set of doors.

"Lieutenant," I hear on the radio.

I depress the PTT button. "Yes, Corporal?"

"I'm about two miles away, the undead in tow. What now?"

"Circle around and RTB."

"Really?" He doesn't sound too enthused to return to base.

"We've got it covered, Corporal."

"Yes, sir."

Wow. Never heard someone be that unenthused about not having to do something. Whatever.

I put my hand on one of the doors I'm to open. The door handle isn't cool like metal handles usually are, which is odd. I begin twisting the handle, which is-

"OH THANK GOD YOU CAME!" a woman's voice booms.

My head shoots to where the ridiculously loud voice came from, which turns out to be the door Kiera opened. She has her shotgun raised again, but I'm not sure why.

"Hey, Kiera," I say, walking towards her. Stealing a glance at Luke and Simmons, it seems that they're trying to act nonchalant. "Good job, but... what's going on?"

I look into the room and see all of the survivors cowering in fear from Kiera. Forcefully, my hand pushes the barrel of the M1014 down and I jerk my free thumb out of the room. "Everyone out here."

The survivors, bar one man in a ragged suit with messy black hair, all run out. Honestly, this really wasn't hard, nor was it some huge rescue op. I could've done it alone. Hell, Luke coul- no, he couldn't have done it. Actually, he could have, Kiera couldn't've. She's the only one who has issues killing zombies, but... I think she seems hellbent on killing this guy.

"What is wrong with you?" I ask, keeping the shotgun lowered.

"That man," she says shakily.

"I can see this. What about him?"

She frowns in absolute disgust. "He's my father."

Ah, Carlito Ramirez, I guess. The guy on the recording. "Well, this is a nice family reunion, isn't it? Why'd you have your shotgun pointed at him, though? Is he bit?"

She tries raising the shotgun again, to no avail. After a couple more tries, she pushes into me with her body. I stumble and she quickly raises the shotgun.

Shit! I dash to her and push the shotgun's barrel up as soon as she pulls the trigger. The deafening shot goes off and buckshot embeds itself in the ceiling, a small chunk falling down.

"The _hell_ is up with you? He's your father for Christ's sake!"

Kiera's father slowly gets up. "Honey," he says, slowly walking towards us, ridiculously calm. "Why are you trying to shoo-"

"YOU KNOW DAMN RIGHT WELL WHY!" she shouts at the top of her lungs. Were my hand not on the shotgun, it'd be on my ear.

I can sense the other survivors getting scared, turning around to confirm my suspicions. Yeah, they are getting scared. One of their saviors, in a USMC uniform, is trying to kill one of them for reasons they do not know. Hell, _I_ don't even know why she wants to kill her dad.

"Simmons!" I bark. "Radio in and call for evac. Two helos!"

He nods. "Yes, sir." He points at Kiera and raises his shoulders, confused. I shake my head at him and point towards his chest. Getting the message, he starts speaking into the radio. "Come in, HQ..."

Did I not say to not call me "sir?" Whatever. I turn my attention back to the angered blonde and her father. It's hard to believe he's her father, unless he's her stepdad or something: he's pure-blooded Hispanic, while she's indubitably Caucasian. The tension between the two is unnerving and largely one-sided, most of it radiating from Kiera.

"Kiera," I calmly say, my hand not moving off of the M1014. "What the hell did he do to you?"

She doesn't say anything, preferring to be silent. She glares at her father/stepfather with a look that could kill. If it could, I think this entire room would be full of corpses.

Carlito takes a step forward, closing the gap between him and us even more.

"Lieutenant!" Simmons calls, causing me to turn towards him. "HQ's sending three helos and they're are on their way, ETA five minutes."

Three? I don't care, but it isn't even that long of a distance. Dammit, the whole helicopter deal is still bothering me. "Alright, thanks Private. You and Private Kowalski take the civvies to the door and watch for the helos."

He nods and rallies the survivors up with Luke. Once more, I turn back to the father-daughter conflict unfolding at hand.

"No one's telling me shit," I say, getting angry. "I can't do a damn thing if I don't know anything."

Neither party says anything. Well, son of a bitch. I can't be a diplomatic mediator as usual. It's like an omen or something saying, 'Jake, be a shotgun diplomat. Create peace through violence.'

"Sweetie, I'm sorry," Carlito says, moving forward some more. "How ever can I make it up to you?" He's fairly close right now, and the barrel's actually-

_BOOM!_

... Well, goddamn. That was loud, very uncomfortable, and way too slow on my part.

Carlito screams in pain and falls to the ground, blood, bone, and flesh spraying from his kneecap and the spent shotgun shell clinking on the ground. I yank the shotgun out of Kiera's hands, meeting no resistance when doing so. The other survivors are probably frightened now. At least they're near the front, and hopefully they can't make out the details.

Yet again, all this blood and gore doesn't disgust me...

Kiera's dad's crying in pain now. I should just put the poor guy out of his misery, but I don't think that's a good idea.

Come to think of it, she did say something yesterday that kinda concerned me regarding her dad when we were in the hotel...

_"How do you think your dad's doing?" I asked while we were in my room._

_"He's fine," she replied, a small smile on her face and what seemed like venom in her voice. "I think he's doing just fine."_

...Yeah, that smile was especially reassuring. It was a Yuno Gasai-tier smile, like when she's feeling especially murderous to protect Yuki. Given that, she must harbor a deep hatred for this man.

"Please!" Carlito cries to me. "Help me!"

I sigh and shake my head. This just had to get more complicated than it already was. I look the bleeding man in the eye. "I'm gonna say this one more time. I want one of you to tell me what the hell caused this one-sided resentment."

"I have no idea why she's doing this!" he cries, wailing in pain.

Despite the undeniable fact he definitely knows why, my gaze turns to Kiera. "Well?"

She doesn't say anything, just keeping her gaze down. Screw it, it's her matter to handle. I shove the M1014 towards her.

"Then fuckin' take this and make up your mind. I don't care." I can sense Carlito's eyes widen immensely in fear.

She snatches the shotgun out of my hand and exhales, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. She walks forward and raises the shotgun to her father's head, the barrel resting on his chin. He shakes his head, whimpering.

I would love to know what the hell is going on here. I guess I'll be to blame if she pumps his face full of buckshot. I don't even know why I'm not intervening. I can just tell that she won't move until she handles this. Might as well try to intervene.

"Make it snappy, Kiera," I say over her father's cries of pain. "Kill him and live with more guilt than he will for whatever the hell it is that he's done, or let him live and _he_ can feel guilty."

She slowly starts wrapping her finger around the trigger, but suddenly stops. Retracting her finger, she lowers the shotgun to her side, flicking the safety on. Her head's still down and Carlito is still whining in pain, though that's only going to get worse once he moves. She blew his right kneecap to kingdom come. I can't even imagine how that must feel.

I shudder. Let me rephrase that: I don't even _want _to imagine how that feels.

"Now that you've made up your mind," I say, looking at Kiera, who walks away some with her head down, then Carlito. "Sir, I'm going to have to wait until evac arrives. We'll get you loaded up on a stretcher and you'll get patched up soon."

Tears in his eyes, the Hispanic man nods, likely wishing he just got shot in the head instead. If I woulda jerked the shotgun out of her hand, he would have been alright... I couldn't have anticipated that, though. I should've, but I didn't. I mean, shit, Kiera didn't seem like she'd do that!

I can't leave her here to watch him, however, since she might kill him. We could easily cover it up as him being bit, but I'd rather not do that. I don't want her to be like me, able to kill without remorse. I don't even know how I can do it.

"Private Simmons!" I shout. He looks back and I begin motioning toward me. He jogs back, his HK416 at the ready, and has a shocked expression wipe across his face when he sees Carlito.

"Holy mother of god," he says.

"We have Kiera to thank for this. No matter, I want you to keep an eye on him until evac arrives." I pull him in close. "I don't want her watching him," I whisper before backing up.

"Understood." He loses the shocked expression and stands next to the injured Ramirez, his HK416 even more at the ready.

I walk to Kiera and tap her on the shoulder. She looks up at me, her eyes unreadable. Unsure of what to do, I motion to the front. "C'mon, let's go wait for evac."

She nods and we walk to the front, where Luke's corralling all of the panicked survivors.

"Everyone calm down!" he says. "Evacuation helicopters are on their way righ- oh hey, there they are now!"

The sound of helicopter blades spinning is very audible, and looking up, I see three helicopters flying in from the south. I think that's the south...

The zombies left in the streets are intrigued by the noise. I raise the M16A3, flick off the safety, set it to semi-auto, and aim, lining up a shot on one freakbag. I squeeze the trigger and the gunshot is muffled by the landing helicopter. The bullet imbeds itself into the zombie's neck, destroying the jugular vein. The undead freak falls to the ground, blood bubbling out of the wound.

I readjust my aim and take another shot at a different zombie, the bullet hitting its shoulder thanks to it moving. I quickly fire off another round, hitting the upper portion of its cranium. A short burst of blood sprays out and the thing falls to the ground.

Luke starts firing as well, taking down several more zombies with one mag, which is a huge improvement. He reloads and I take aim for a third time, but a hail of bullets from above precludes that.

I look up and see... is that Dom? I squint a little, trying to ignore the spotlight being cast in my eyes. Black hair, beard... Yeah, that's Dom, but what the hell is he doing on that helo? What's he holding?

My cousin fires some more, killing several zombies, and I know what he's using now: an LMG, likely an M249 or an M60E4. The deeper-sounding gunshots, which is a very weird way of putting it, make it obvious.

The three helicopters land on the road. Sustained fire from Luke, Dom, and myself thin the zombies down to nothing, blood pooling and running down the road. Dom hops out of the helicopter along with... the Colonel?! What the hell are they both doing here?

The pair walk toward us. "All of you!" the Colonel says, pointing to the survivors and then the helicopters, excluding the one they came out of. "In those two helicopters!"

The survivors all run to the helicopters and the Colonel pats my shoulder. "You did good, kid."

"Thanks, sir," I say. "But we have a problem."

"Which would be?"

"We've got an injured survivor in the back who needs to be taken on a stretcher."

"What kind of injury are we talking about?" Dom asks.

I grimace a little. "How does a bunch of buckshot to the knee sound?" I shoot a glance at Kiera, who looks down again.

The Colonel and Dom grimace as well, but the Colonel motions to one of the helicopter pilots without hesitation. The pilot, a man with a scruffy beard, opens the door and runs to us. "Yes, Colonel?"

"Get a stretcher out of the back and head back in the station. There's an injured survivor."

"Private Simmons is back there with him," I say.

"Good," the Colonel says, pointing at the pilot. "You and the private load him up and RTB."

The pilot nods and runs back to the helicopter. "We heading back?" I ask.

"Kind of," the Colonel responds, motioning for us to follow him into the empty helicopter.

I flick the M16's safety on. What does he mean, "kind of?" Despite the dubious answer, we don't ask any questions and follow, hopping into the back while the Colonel takes his place in the front. A surprising sight in the back is Luigi, now wearing Marine fatigues like Dom and the rest of us.

"Whatchu doing here?" I ask, shutting the door as Dom shuts the other door and sets the LMG, an M249, on a rack.

"Enjoying the scenery and abdominal pain," Luigi responds.

"How is that, anyway? Where you got shot, I mean."

He shrugs. "It hurts when I move, specifically when I stretch that area, but I guess it could be worse. The medics said I should consider myself lucky, since it didn't hit any organs and whatnot."

He is kinda lucky. The helicopter rises into the air and tilts forward. I look out the window and notice that we're flying in a different direction than the other airborne one.

"Er, Colonel," I loudly say after leaning in towards him, that way the rotors don't drown me out.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" he loudly acknowledges.

"Where exactly are we going?"

He turns around and sighs. "There's been a change of plans. I don't know if you know, but Air Force One crashed last night."

"You're kidding."

"I wish I was, Lieutenant. President Smalls, several Secret Service agents, and General Richtofen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, all died. They were en route to Ottawa for a meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister and the Mexican President."

Jesus. The President, supposedly the safest person in the United States, is dead. "How did it happen?"

"Somehow, according to a call from an agent on the plane before it crashed, those things got aboard and bit the General, the President, and the pilots."

That's downright ridiculous. How did they get onboard the plane? That's absolutely... words can't even describe how surreal it is.

"Moving on, I had orders to go to Oak Harbor tomorrow and then fly to Japan. However, now-President Franklin called a couple hours ago and ordered I head there today."

"But why are we going?"

"It should be obvious, Lieutenant. I'm taking you and your team to Japan with me."

That makes sense, since he did ask what languages I speak. I can't help but wonder... "Why?"

"Because, Lieutenant. You said you speak the language, for one, and I've seen how you work. As such, your squad will be part of numerous Marines being co-led by me in Tokonosu City."

But that wasn't even a mission! It showed absolutely nothing of our skills! Y'know what? Screw it, let him take us.

"You speak Japanese?" I hear Kiera ask. The first time she talks and that's what she asks, yet she won't tell me why she shot her dad.

"Sir, where are we going?" I ask, deciding not to answer Kiera.

"Oak Harbor, like I said. More specifically, NAS Whidbey Island. We'll resupply there and then board a C-130. It won't be long, Lieutenant Collins. We've got some of your belongings back there as well."

I glance back and see Luigi tap a couple bags next to him. So he must've gone with some team and collected the stuff, then. Makes sense, I guess

"What about Kubota Garden? Who's gonna-"

"Major Yoshi and Captain Daniels are taking over command of Kubota Garden. They are two of my most trusted men, and I think they'll do just fine." The Colonels turns around. "I do hope you have no more questions, Lieutenant."

No more questions here, though I still think the Captain is Captain Douchebag. I sigh and sit down next to Dom, scratching my neck. As if things couldn't get any weirder, we have to go to Japan?

"Think of it this way," my cousin says, looking me over. "You're going to Japan earlier than what you planned."

"Under shitty circumstances, though," I say, my gaze drifting to his thigh. "What about you? How're you holding up with that thigh?"

Dom shrugs and looks out the window, eyes locked onto the passing buildings and scenery. "I can move fine, bar the occasional pain I get in my thigh."

"But you're fine?"

"Totally."

The five of us just silently sit in this helicopter, watching buildings and city streets turn into water and the occasional small island. It's actually interesting to see this, since Pennsylvania doesn't have these, at least not in the southwest.

* * *

I don't know how long it's been since we began idly staring into the water, but land comes out of nowhere. It's been... I don't know, close to half an hour, maybe?

"Kiera," I lean in and ask as we begin descending towards an airfield and she looks at me innocently. "Are you ever going to tell me what happened between you and your old man?"

Her innocent look disappears and she turns her head again. "Maybe, I don't know."

"You paralyzed the man for the rest of his life!" I exclaim, earning raised eyebrows from Luigi and Dom. Luke isn't paying any attention and I'm not loud enough for the Colonel to notice. "You can at least say something!"

"Wait, what happened?" Dom asks, leaning in as well. "All I heard was something about paralysis."

Kiera huffs and puts her head down.

"She shot her father in the knee with the shotgun," I say. "But, she doesn't think there's anything we need to know regarding why she did that."

Dom shakes his head. "Jake, I'm pretty sure she has her reasons. They're probably pretty damn good ones, considering the fact that she can barely kill a zombie." He leans closer to my ear. "Besides, I'm pretty sure that any girl who would throw herself at you has monumental issues."

"Prick," I say as he starts chuckling, but I start laughing too.

I guess... this is part of what little I - no, we - have left of a normal, pre-outbreak life. The jesting between Dom and myself, I mean.

I look up at Kiera and she seems to be smiling at Dom. Odd, but whatever. Maybe she's glad he came to her defense.

We touch down on the airfield, which I'm guessing is that Naval Air Station the Colonel mentioned. Whidbey Island, right? The pilot set us down next to a hangar and a C-130J Super Hercules already on the runway.

I grab my bag and open the door on the Colonel's side while Luigi opens the other door. They slide back and the five of us, plus the pilot and Colonel Marston, all get out. Looking down, it seems that my boots are bloodied, as are Luke's. Kiera, however, has blood on her pants.

I'm far too intrigued as to what went down between her and her father, but like Dom said, I'll let it slide for now. My curiosity won't be sated until she tells me, though.

The Colonel starts walking towards the C-130J, it's engines idling. Without hesitation, we follow and the sight of a cargo bay full of Marines and two high-ranking officers outside comes into view. The Colonel keeps walking until we are close to the officers.

"Lieutenant Colonel Paulson, Colonel Sanders," Colonel Marston greets them.

The Lieutenant Colonel seems to be in his late thirties, has brown hair, and a mustache comparable to a pornstache.

Colonel Sanders, much like the fictional colonel whom he shares his name with, is a bit older, maybe in his mid-fifties. He has gray hair and a light beard, unlike the KFC mascot. Out of the three officers currently here, I think he'll be the most by-the-book.

"Glad you could join us, Colonel Marston," Colonel Sanders says, pointing at us. "I assume this group is the rest of your Marines?"

"Indeed they are," Colonel Marston says with a grin as I initiate a salute. The Colonel motions for us to stop. "Er, is everyone geared up, or...?"

Lieutenant Colonel Paulson shakes his head. "No, Colonel. We've decided to wait until we get to Tokonosu."

Colonel Marston cocks an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"The JGSDF and US Marines already in the area have set up a command post at the airport. They've got an arsenal already there, and with what we're taking... Well, you get the idea."

The Colonel nods. "Well, what now, then?"

"Get on the plane and prepare for takeoff," Colonel Sanders says. "We've got a couple seamen in there, just so you know, one of which is flying the plane."

Colonel Marston's face gets really serious. "Christ, I hope he doesn't try flying us through the ocean."

The other colonel chuckles. "Let's hope not, otherwise we'll need to grow some sea legs." He turns around and starts walking with the short bird in tow.

Colonel Marston motions for us to follow him yet again, which we do. He turns around when we're on the loading ramp.

"Listen, you're all probationary Marines and you didn't go through any of the things these Marines did to be here. Don't expect them to be friendly if they find out you're just teenagers."

I sense my comrades nodding and I follow suit. "Understood, sir," I say for all of us.

The Colonel nods in acknowledgement and points into the cargo bay. "Go take the empty seats. We're taking off pretty soon, so might as well pile in."

I lead the pack into the cargo bay as the loading ramp/door closes, the only light coming from overhead. There are dozens of Marines inside here, all of them seemingly restless. Towards the middle are six empty seats, three on each side. I sit in the middle on one side, Luigi and Kiera sitting on each side of me. Dom and Luke take the opposite side and we buckle in. I didn't notice until now, but everyone except Kiera was carrying a bag.

I can hear the once idling engines rev, preparing to take us to the sky. I can also sort of feel the plane moving.

"Alright, Marines!" Colonel Sanders shouts from the front of the cargo bay. "Shut your traps!"

All of the Marines quiet down and look at Colonel Sanders, who hands the talking over to Colonel Marston via hand gesture.

"We're taking off now, Marines," the Colonel says. "I suggest you all get some rest while we're in the air. It'll be approximately twelve hours before we land at Tokonosu, give or take a couple hours. You'll need it, Marines. This enemy, these reanimated dead humans... They don't rest, they don't relent. They keeping charging at you despite getting caught in a hail of bullets. However!" The Colonel clasps his fist shut. "With a force this mighty, as powerful as the United States Marine Corps, those fuckers won't stand a chance." He shoves his fist in the air. "Oorah, Marines!"

Everyone in the cargo bay, my "probationary" group included, raises their fist into the air.

"OORAH!" shouts everyone, us included. The battle cry continues for what seems like a couple minutes, being ridiculously loud. Well, it's understandable, I guess.

The Colonel waves his arms in the air as I feel the plane begin to ascend, gesturing for everyone to quiet down. The cargo bay slowly quiets down, finally quieting down when we're already well into the sky.

"Some of you," the Colonel looks straight at me, "will be deployed on a mission almost immediately after we land, only having enough time for a meal and gearing up. I strongly suggest you rest up, Marines. You will need it."

The three COs walk into the cockpit, leaving us cargo bay occupants to our devices. Pretty much every Marine starts talking once they leave.

"What do you think we're gonna be doing over there?"

"The women oughta be a bunch of hot ass. I've been stationed in Japan before."

"What about the States, why aren't we there?"

"Wonder if that damn seaman's gonna drop us into his area of expertise..."

"I don't think that freaky place'll be too bad."

"Damn, these things need toilets. Like, I've been on several C-130s and had to shit, like, at least forty percent of the time."

"Anyone hear any news about Columbus? Y'know, in Ohio?"

"Hey baby, want to do something... Fun?"

I look around and see the Marine closest to my right leaning in next to Kiera. Said Marine looks to be of Arabic descent, has a crew cut, and a chiseled and scarred face. I'm not quite sure if that's the kinda guy girls typically find attractive. I don't think I'm gonna dwell on the extremely confusing object that is the female psyche right now, though.

She squirms and shakes her head. "No!" she exclaims.

"Oh, come on!" the Marine presses, a wily and unsettling grin on his face as he grabs her arm. "Just a little?"

Goddammit! Can we not get involved in conflict anywhere we go?

"Hey!" I hear Dom bark. Looking at him... to put it truthfully, he looks pissed, which isn't something I often see in my cousin. "Cut it out, jackass!"

The Marine looks at Dom and sneers. "What're you gonna do, Private Shower Shoes? Beat me up and save the damsel in distress?" He said that so childishly.

Dom undoes his buckle. "If you want me to, I will."

I'm not risking a fight because some Marine wants to get his freak on with a minor, but he can't know she's a minor. He certainly isn't going to get his freak on with her.

"Both of you, stand down!" I command, using the most intimidating voice I can muster.

"What'll you do, candyass?" the offending Marine asks. "Tell one of the colonels?"

"No," I angrily say. "I'll have your sorry ass put on latrine duty and then used as zombie bait if you keep it up."

The Marine chuckles coldly. "Sure, I'll believe that when I see it."

"Believe what, Corporal?"

I look up and see the Lieutenant Colonel standing above us, glaring at the Marine.

"Uh, nothing sir," the once-bold Marine lies.

Paulson nods in disbelief. "Keep it up Corporal, and I'll have your ass on latrine duty for the next month." He nods towards me. "I heard the Lieutenant and I quite like his idea." The Lieutenant Colonel turns around. "Keep that in mind, maggot."

The Corporal nods, disheartened. "Yes, sir."

He retracts himself from Kiera and leans back in his seat, seemingly unsatisfied with the Lieutenant Colonel's intervention.

"You alright?" I ask Kiera. I glance at Dom, and he's giving the Corporal a look that could kill. My cousin buckles his seat again and leans back with an angry grunt.

She nods slightly. I don't think she's gonna give me any answers whatsoever in this state.

There's this BS and... Dammit, am I really gonna be sent out on a mission almost as soon as we land? I sigh, lean back, and stick my hand in my bag. I fish around a bit and touch a thin, rectangular object. I pull my iPod out and grab earphones from the bag as well.

This is gonna be a long flight...

* * *

**AN: You may be wondering why things moved so quickly and I can tell you exactly why: to advance the plot.**

**If you have questions, ask. Reviews and suggestions are always accepted, as is criticism. Those influence my decisions when writing, just so you know.**

**For future reference, dialogue that is being spoken in Japanese will utilize Japanese quotes, much like the song title at the end of this AN. The dialogue will be written in English for simplicity's sake (and since my Japanese lexicon isn't that vast).**

**If I don't upload before Christmas, Merry Christmas to all if you who celebrate it! To those who don't, Happy Respective Holidays!**

**「Two Tickets to Paradise」**

**(It may not make sense to you, but it kinda does to me.)**


	8. Undead Party Crashing

Chapter Eight: Undead Party Crashing

* * *

**Z-Day + 3, 4:15 AM, JST**

**Tokonosu Offshore Airport, Japan...**

* * *

"Herr, wissen Sie, wenn Deutschland ist sicher?"

I cock an eyebrow at the man as I pass. Did he just speak German to me? I break from the group and walk over to him, kneeling down. He's a younger Mann, maybe in his mid-twenties, and is wearing a hoodie with **DEUTSCHELAND** on it and a pair of blue jeans. Also, his hoodie is tricolored in the German flag, so he must be patriotic.

Okay, so... he asked if I knew if Germany was safe. Well, I don't know, so I think it'd benefit him to stay here.

"Nein," I say. "Ich denke, es wäre am besten für dich hier zu bleiben für den Moment."

"Aber, meine Familie! Ich muss sie sehen!"

Yeah, we all need to see our families, pal. It'll do no good if you go and get yourself killed. "Gehen Sie weiter und lassen Sie sich tötet, weil Sie ungeduldig sind. Sehen Sie, wie das hilft, Freund."

"Ich werde nicht sterben, wenn ich nur-"

"Nein, Arschloch!" You won't die if you just what? Just wait, damn! "Einfach warten, bis Sie wissen! Gottverdammt!"

The German tourist just looks at me, bewildered by my profanity, apparently. I shake my head and stand awkwardly, readjusting the items on my back.

"Auf Wiedersehen," I tell the tourist as I run to catch up with the group. I catch up and the five of us and the Colonel walk out of the terminal building, moving towards an idling helicopter. That stop at the armory before that German dude started talking was interesting, for me at least. Everyone wasn't so happy that I ordered they get pads and helmets... The food at the food court was pretty good, too.

I shrug a little, once again feeling the weight of the new weapon on my back: a Knight's Armament M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System. It's discomforting, especially given the bag on my back, but I'll get used to it. It has a bipod and a detachable suppressor with it, which is likely going to be very helpful.

In my now gloved hands is the gun I traded out the M16A3 for: a Steyr AUG A3 NATO, which thankfully accepts STANAG magazines. I don't know why it was in a USMC inventory, but I don't really care. It has a grip, the traditional Swarovski scope, a flashlight, and a detachable suppressor as well. Wouldn't mind getting a shotgun on this bad boy, but there's the grip... Put the grip on the shotgun, maybe?

The second 1911 I got, a Kimber Desert Warrior, also has a detachable suppressor and a flashlight. All of these guns and attachments seem more suited for special forces than Marines, but I ain't complaining.

Kiera's still carrying the same M1014, but she traded the M9 in for a Minebea PM-9. That's a smart trade, getting a nine millimeter machine pistol instead of keeping a nine millimeter semi-auto handgun.

Luke traded the MP5 in for a UMP45, which isn't even in use by any US military branch, with just a grip. My guess is the USMC got some from the Philippines or something. He kept the M9.

Luigi, who wasn't armed at all, obtained an M4A1 with an ACOG scope, a grip, and a flashlight, as well as a SIG P226 as his sidearm. The P226 doesn't have anything on it, though I'm pretty sure it's chambered in .40 S&W.

Dom wasn't armed either, though now he is something of a designated marksman, with his R11 RSASS, which also isn't in USMC service to my knowledge. It might be. His sidearm is an HK45 Tactical with a laser module and a detachable suppressor. I have to say, that is a nice handgun.

"Lieutenant," the Colonel says while I look over the AUG for a tenth time. "Why in the hell do you have so much with you?"

I stop looking over the Austrian assault rifle and cock an eyebrow at the Colonel. "What exactly do you mean?"

We're getting closer to the helicopter, but the Colonel stops and points at my arsenal. "You have four guns, Lieutenant! Each gun has some sort of accessory and you yourself look ready to drop into Vietnam or North Korea and wage a one-man war!" He points to the other members of my group, bar Kiera. "You're _probationary_ Marines, not _Force Recon_ Marines!"

"I understand, sir," I say, shuffling a bit. "But, it's just preparation." Yep, totally bullshitting my way through just wanting guns.

The Colonel's cocked eyebrow raises even higher. "And that bag's full of ammo, isn't it?"

"Not just ammo, sir. Other necessities, like porno mags," I lie. There's not just ammo in there, but there're definitely no porn mags. There's some first aid in there, my iPod, suppressors, other rail attachments... Basically miscellaneous stuff.

"I bet, Marine." He sighs and shakes his head. "Whatever, I really don't care. There're so many guns stockpiled in there anyway."

Yeah, I guess there are. Not really sure. But, time to move on. "So, what are we doing, sir?"

"Ah, right. You five are going to board that helo, okay?" We all nod, since it's pretty obvious. "Captain Smith'll fly you guys over one of the residential areas of the city. Supposedly, there's a group of survivors or something of the sort at a really rich guy's property. This guy supposedly owns this city and has a large portion of that residential district cut off from the undead."

"What's the actual mission?" I ask.

"You're going to scout out the area, maybe drop in and try to get them to open their camp to us."

I don't know why that'd be necessary if you're the United States Marine Corps and you're situated on an offshore airport with little chance of zombies getting on it.

"So, are we going to see any combat?" Dom asks drowsily.

"Most likely, Private. We fear the survivors will be hostile towards both American and Japanese forces. While I don't think you'll need as much firepower as the Lieutenant, he probably thinks you will."

Excuse me for being prepared. There can never be enough guns. And combat with people you want to let you in is highly illogical.

"You're all prepared like a strike team," the Colonel continues. "I can assure you, that's not necessary. However, Lieutenant Collins is leading this operation." He puts his hand on my shoulder. "You make choices as you see fit."

"Already did that, Colonel," I say.

The Colonel nods, though he seems uncertain. "Okay, then, Jacob. Get on board and prepare to move out. I'll keep in touch on the radio."

"Yes, sir!"

The Colonel heads back in the terminal building while I lead my squad to the helo. I open the front door and hop in, putting the AUG in between my legs, while the other four hop in the back. This is pretty uncomfortable when sitting down.

The pilot, Captain Smith, I guess, has **U.S. NAVY **on his uniform, rather than **U.S. MARINES**. He must be one of the seamen that were on the C-130J with us.

The helicopter lifts up off the air and I look back at the others. They have one door open, Dom aiming out of it with his rifle while the others look out. Scouting is definitely a good idea, though I don't think they've recovered from jet lag that quickly. I know Kiera definitely didn't, because she almost fell asleep in a plate of salad in the food court.

I pull the headphones on from behind, adjusting the microphone to face my mouth. "So, where we headed?" I ask.

"Takagi Estate," Smith says with a yawn. "I don't really know where it is, but according to some Japanese guys I talked to, it's hard to miss. It's on a hill or something."

"Why didn't they just have a Japanese pilot take us?"

"Good question, Lieutenant. I even asked Colonel Sanders why, but he didn't really give me a valid answer. Just one of those things typical of the military, you know how it is."

Yeah, sure I do. The whole two days I've been in the damn service. Or has it been three? I guess it depends on how you count days of service.

"Metal-One, do you read me?" I hear the Colonel ask on the radio. Way to put the headset over the earpiece, Jake.

"HQ, this is Metal-One," I say, looking at the water surrounding the airport. I should consider myself lucky that I'm not feeling the effects of jet lag. "Reading you loud and clear, over."

"Good, Metal-One. In case you do encounter resistance, don't shoot to kill unless absolutely necessary. Any and all survivors are considered valuable assets. Over."

"Roger, HQ. Metal-One out."

I look out on the water once more, noting nothing strange, then look to the city itself. To think Japan is actually this normal, bar the zombies... In fact, the city reminds me a little bit of San Francisco for some reason.

"How's your family doing, Lieutenant?" the Captain casually asks, though he sounds drowsy, too.

"I don't think they're going through any rough times, Captain. Well, bar my father."

"Really? Why's that?"

"He's a Lieutenant Colonel in the Corps," I say, not wanting to twist the truth. "He's probably having to make some tough decisions."

"Being a Marine runs in the family, then?" He doesn't find that odd?

I laugh a little at his observation, despite it not really being funny. "I guess it does... What about your family?"

"My family's in Seattle. Hopefully they're at Kubota Garden... That's where the Marines are holding down a fort, right?"

"Yeah, that's the place," I say, looking out the window again. The water disappears and is replaced by city streets and buildings and such.

"Then they should be fine. I just want to see my little girl again."

Poor dude. He's a worried dad here in Japan, almost five thousand miles away from his family. Well, my little sister's eight thousand or so miles away and Dad's... shit, god knows where he is right now. I can sympathize with the guy, because I am worried how uncle Dave and Tali are doing. Dad oughta be fine, though.

We pass over a bridge with what seem to be police and protestors on it. I can't say I'm surprised that cops are blocking the flow of traffic, mainly to reduce the spread of infection, but what the hell are the protestors for?

I shake my head and crack my neck. Even if I had Dom look at the signs they're holding, he wouldn't be able to read them. They're probably in Japanese, like just about everything here.

"Something the matter?" Smith asks.

"Not really, Captain. Just curious about those protestors."

"I hope you don't mind me asking," he asks with another yawn, changing the subject. "But why do you have four guns?"

"Why don't you?"

The Captain shuts his mouth, grimacing for a second. "Touché."

I shuffle in my seat some, discomforted by the cramped space. I look outside again, leaving the Captain to pilot. The city is set up very neatly. I mean, it is a sprawling metropolis with one hell of a large residential district, though I doubt that has anything to do with its uniformity. Besides, it looks like it's... getting closer? That's not right...

I look to my left and- SHIT! Captain Smith's head is on the... whatever-the-hell that thing is! Flight stick?! I don't care right now!

I lean over and grab the stick, pulling back. I have no idea how the hell one pilots a helicopter, but the helo rears back. That's a good thing, right? My hands push it forward some in an attempt to level the helo out. Okay, this is going well. Good idea, Jake, good id- dammit!

The helo tips forward a bit too much and starts toward the ground again which is definitely good. Good going, Jake! I can hear screaming from behind me, the other four scared shitless. They think I'm not? I'm the new pilot because what's-his-face fell the hell asleep!

I pull back on the stick again, trying to level out once again. Are there pedals in these things? If so, that sleeping asshole still has his foot on the descending pedal!

"FUCK!" I shout at the top of my lungs as the helicopter tilts towards a two-story building, going in too fast. "WE'RE GONNA CRA-"

* * *

**Forty-five minutes later, in a residential district of Tokonosu City...**

* * *

Dominic Collins regained consciousness and sat up, holding his head. He felt something warm and gooey, so he retracted his hand and looked at it. _What the hell...?_

Blood covered the palm of his hand, which he wiped off onto his trousers. He looked around, trying to piece together what had happened when he noticed the burning helicopter inside of a house's second story.

_Jake tried pulling it up at the last second... _"Where is everyone?" he asked aloud, though just to himself. Looking back at the wreckage, he determined that the helicopter hit with quite a force, since he flew about forty feet away. He also reasoned that the blades kept spinning until they snapped, given the broken blades still attached and the fragments littering the small yard below.

Standing up after grabbing the RSASS next to him, Dom looked around again for his friends and cousin. He spotted a body near a garbage can and ran to it, slinging the RSASS. Pain shot through his thigh as he ran, but Dom had experienced worse.

He turned the body over and immediately recognized the pale and freckled face, despite the blood now adorning it. Dom checked for Luke's pulse and found one. _Thank god._

He slapped the pale teen's face a couple times in an effort to wake him up, but Dom's attempts were in vain. As a last resort, Dom placed the back of his hand above Luke's crotch and flicked his wrist.

"Oh!" Luke groaned in pain after Dom's knuckles hit, waking up instantly. "What the heck, Dom?"

Dom smiled briefly. "I needed to wake your ass up."

Luke coughed. "What happened? Why are we on the ground? What's burning?"

"The helicopter crashed. Come on, we gotta find the others."

Luke nodded and stood up, walking away with a limp. Dom noticed that Luke already had his UMP45. _He doesn't have a sling on it... Must've had a death grip on the damn thing._

"Luke!" Dom called, causing the pale one to turn around. Dom pointed toward where Luke was headed and then to where he was standing. "Check over there, I'll check over here."

Luke nodded and kept walking, looking around. Dom turned around and inspected the rubble. He had a feeling that Jake was still in the helicopter, which made his stomach do a couple flips.

Dom drew his HK45 and walked towards the wreckage. The house's door was wide open, so Dom let himself in. The house was nice on the inside, but he had no time to admire the house, let alone take in the sight beyond "nice." He had to find his cousin.

He hobbled up the stairs, wincing in pain with each forceful step. The pain wasn't going to last forever, Dom knew that, so he trucked on through. He reached the top of the stairs and ran to the room the helicopter embedded itself in. Inside the helicopter was the charred body of the pilot, but that was the only body and the passenger door was open. Dom frantically looked through the room, but the fire didn't illuminate too well. The darkness of the room coupled with the extremely dim lighting outside made it too difficult to see.

Dom walked toward the gaping hole, but his foot hit something. Looking down, he picked up the object, a Steyr AUG A3. Sighing, he walked to the edge and sat down, his feet dangling and a tear streaming down his cheek. _If he's dead, I can't even recover his body. Can't even give him a proper burial..._ The tear fell off of his cheek and down to the ground. _Goddammit Jake!_ "You can't do this!"

"Can't do what?" a voice called from below. Dom recognized the voice: Luigi.

Dom wiped his eyes and hopped down, cringing in pain when he landed. "Nothing, Weegee... I'm glad you're alive."

"You're worried about Jake, huh?" the Italian-American asked, swinging the M4 carbine at his side. Blood was smeared on Luigi's cheek and there was a cut on his forehead.

"How'd you guess?"

"No specific reason. Just that I looked there, too."

Dom cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

Luigi nodded. "Yeah, I've been awake for fifteen minutes. I saw you and Luke lying there, so I let you guys be. Kiera was stuck in a hedge, so I pulled her out and then she woke up, then I came here and checked up there for Jake." He put his hand on the worried cousin's shoulder. "If I know Jake, he's fine."

Dom shrugged. "Maybe you're right."

"I know I'm right. Hell, you should know that he'll be fine." He pulled on Dom's arm. "Come on, let's go with the others."

Without resistance, Dom let himself be dragged by Luigi. He couldn't help but wonder if Jake left without them or was just hidden. He placed his bets on the latter.

"Honda! Suzuki Toyota Mitsubishi! Hyundai Hyundai Hyundai!"

Dom looked up to see Luke next to Kiera, making an ass out of himself in front of some people who were armed. _Typical Luke, just making an ass out of... _"Wait a second," Dom said, observing the people.

"Anata wa baka desu!" one of the armed people said.

Luke nodded. "Tokyo! Sushi!"

Another member of the group groaned in annoyance and said something else, likely asking if he could shoot Luke.

Dom broke free of Luigi and power walked forward. Jake taught him a little Japanese, since he often spoke it. Luke never paid attention, instead preferring to make Jake say things in Spanish despite him not knowing anything past Spanish One.

The Japanese folk looked at Dom cockeyed, visibly curious. _They're wondering what the next American clown will do... Oh, how did Jake say it went?_

"Watashi... soshite... watashi no tomodachi?" he motioned to the other three and himself, "wa Amerikan desu." Dom choked it out, hoping he was right. "Er... Eigo?" _Eigo means English, right?_

"Hiroshima sake!" Luke ignorantly added.

"Americans?" One man said in a heavy accent, ignoring Luke. Dom nodded and turned to the side, showing the backwards American flag on his shoulder. "We did not notice your patches... You are all survivors, yes?" Dom nodded, as did the other three. "Then, come with us."

"Where to?" Luigi asked.

"Takagi Estate."

Luigi and Dom exchanged glances that basically said "why not?" Dom, the new de facto leader, nodded. The Japanese group turned around and began walking. Dom lead his friends as well, holstering the HK45 and gripping his cousin's AUG tight incase of a betrayal.

He turned to Luke and glared. "Dipshit."

Luke raised an eyebrow and raised his hands in confusion. Dom ignored him.

All the while, however, Dom kept worrying about his cousin. _Jake, I hope you're alright..._

* * *

**One hour and ten minutes later, in a residential district of Tokonosu City...**

* * *

Jesus... My back is killing me...

Wait, why's everything so dark? I move my hand forward and- OW! Too hard! Dammit! What did I hit and why does it feel like something is on my legs? I try to move my legs and... something is on my legs. This is a shocking development!

I lift my back up, a little bit of light seeping through. Something's on me, then... I keep pushing upward and... almost there...

Shit! The object falls back down with me, smacking my legs. I grunt in pain and gasp for breath. Okay, Jake, calm down for a sec. This might help you get this thing off of you.

Okay, the helicopter crashed and I survived apparently. That's a start, but where the hell I am is a really good question. That, and the status of my squad... They're fine, I know it. They were in the back, so they probably got thrown out on the street. That being said, they have a pretty good chance of survival. And they said these pads and helmets were a stupid idea.

I exhale. Yeah, that's not going to help get this damn thing off. I can't twist around and push up, but I can try pushing up again.

I place my palms on the ground and begin pushing up again, raising the object some more. Keep... going...

The object gets raised high enough for me to see more clearly. I support myself with my right arm and use my left one to grab the left side of the object. With as much strength as I can muster, I push both arms, raising it up and on its side. I keep going, my face probably beet red. I can see the rest of where I am now: inside the house that we crashed into. The helicopter's trashed and I think there was a fire.

With one final push, I take my right arm and push up the rest of the way, the object now fully supported by my back. Well, the guns and backpack are helping, I guess.

The heavy object tilts to the side and falls with a crash, one typical of a wooden object. I collapse to the floor and look at what kept me. How the hell did I get trapped in something that looks like a bookcase? Better yet, how the hell did I get thrown out of the helicopter?

My eyes shoot back to the helicopter. The passenger door is wide-open, and the Captain... Poor man, he's burnt to a crisp. I would love to give his family my regards, but he fell asleep while flying a helicopter. That's not his fault, though.

My right arm moves to my back and touches around. That's the M110, that's the backpack... where's the AUG? If I flew out and hit the bookcase-thing... Maybe taking another rifle was a bad idea...

I grunt and shake my head. So what if it was? It's too late now. I slowly rise to my feet and lean on the wall. Jesus, what all did I screw up? My hand makes it's way to my face and feels around. I don't feel anything warm and liquidy, so that's good. Something is definitely wrong with my right leg, though.

I walk towards the wreckage and look out of the gaping hole it produced.

"Christ," I mutter, taking into account the zombies outside. There're a hell of a lot of them and I don't have the AUG. I do have the trusty 1911s, though.

I reach into my pocket and pull out the Kimber's suppressor. The other two are in the backpack. Given the fact that there's no point in using a sniper at close range and I don't have the AUG... Well, yeah. Kinda obvious.

I slide the Desert Warrior out of its holster and attach the suppressor. I aim it, testing its weight. It's nicely balanced, so there are no problems here. My right hand pats around in my chest and touches the radio. Oh, right! The radio!

"Come in HQ," I say, hitting the PTT button on the radio. Might as well call for evac or something. I receive nothing. "HQ, come in!" I repeat. Again, nothing.

Dammit, the radio must be broken! Maybe I can fix it or something, but it's not safe here. My eyes sweep over the area. Some zombies are making their way into the building I'm in, and while I could defend this position, I can't stay here forever.

I set the Kimber down on a dresser next to me and draw the M110, looking down the scope. On the road are some small red blood spatters, meaning someone got injured. Not all of the zombies bleed, which leaves my best bet at a human. Get a CSI crew in and analyze it, I guess.

I follow the trail with the scope, which starts to round a corner but disappears. So, the bleeding stopped right about then... Shit. I'm not gonna follow that trail, because I have no clue where it's gonna go.

Slinging the M110, I pick the Desert Warrior back up. I slide the magazine out and check if it's loaded, which it is, and slide it back in. Pulling the hammer back, I turn the safety off.

I look over the edge. No zombies are directly below and there's a safe path away if I drop down... Fuck it, time to become an ODST and drop into hell.

I hop down and land on the- OW! Dammit, my calf! My right leg buckles when I land and I nearly land face first. Pushing myself up, I quickly walk away with a gimp, holding the Desert Warrior one-handed. Jesus, this hurts.

I stop on the street and look around for somewhere to go, preferably an elevated position.

"Guuuuh..."

I turn around and a zombie comes face-to-face with me. I raise the 1911 and pull the trigger. A suppressed gunshot sounds as the slide blows back, the forty-five bullet rocketing out of the barrel and the suppressor. The projectile smacks into the zombie's forehead, blood spurting out onto my face.

I groan in mock disgust as the reanimated corpse falls to the ground. I had to shower anyway. I start running, to the best of my ability, so I can find somewhere elevated to check for the target. I pass houses and crowds of zombies, but there's no stopping now...

Okay, maybe there is. I stop in front of a park to catch my breath. Taking several heavy breaths, I look up and into the park. Jesus... I'm not out of shape, but... Wait, why the hell is there an amphibious vehicle overturned in that fountain? Holy hell, all of those redead undead! Bodies litter the park, blood pooling out in various locations.

I limp down and kneel down next to one of the bodies. I raise the 1911 and turn on the flashlight. Its temple is caved in, bits of skull digging into the brain. Wow... I kinda wanna know who did this.

I stand back up and start walking by the other bodies, shining the light on them as well. Much like the first zombie, their skulls are cracked. Whoever did this had balls, using a blunt object instead of a gun... I really want to know who did all this now.

I look up at the brightening sky and notice a clearing on top of a hill, stairs leading to it. That's elevated... That's where I'm gonna go.

I walk up to the street and begin running again, still with the limp. My footsteps echo throughout the noiseless streets, attracting the attention of zombies that I pass. I shoot at a couple that are in my way and blood bubbles out of the two zombies' heads. I shove them to the ground and keep going, drawing my knife from its sheath.

I run close to some more zombies, holding out the blade to slice their necks. Once I'm in the clear, I spin around to see them fall to the ground, blood pooling out. Good work, Jake.

I spin around again and start walking, the staircase not too far away. I begin walking up the staircase and sheath the knife. My foot catches on a stair, causing me to trip. I catch myself with my elbow on a higher up step. Wincing in slight pain, despite the elbow pad, I stand back up and take the suppressor off of the Desert Warrior. After sliding it into my pocket, I hit the mag release and put the empty mag in my pocket as well. Sliding a fresh mag in, I holster the 1911 and start walking again.

I reach the top of the stairs and look around. It appears that I've stumbled upon an abandoned Japanese shrine. I stumble towards the building in front of me. It's about twenty yards away, though I've never been good with distance.

The trees around the area make it seem too serene, especially when there's so much death and destruction around.

I walk up the steps to the building and put my hands on the door. I start pushing, but... the... damn thing won't... budge! I grunt, punch the door, and move back, wiping my brow and then my face. Blood is really uncomfortable when it dries up.

Well, I can't get in there. Might as well look around for somewhere that can give me some more elevation... I get an idea and look up. Of course!

I hop on top of the railing on the side of the shrine's... I don't know what it is called, but I'll liken it to a porch. My arms extend to the roof and my hands grab onto it. Pushing my foot off of the support, I propel myself up on top of the roof. I rise to full height and look around. There's some more roof to climb, but I think this is good enough.

My head darts around, looking for a large building on a hill, but stops on the staircase I came up due to a groan.

"The hell?" I mutter. Why are there zombies climbing the stairs? They shouldn't be able to follow the noises that well!

I unsling the M110 and crouch, placing it as firmly as I can on this little partition thing and flicking off the safety. My neck is a little uncomfortable, like there's something around it.

My hand inches up to my neck and touches something familiar. How are the noise-canceling headphones still on me? The helmet flew off apparently, but... No matter. I start pulling them over my ears, but... is that a door opening?

I listen closely and hear footsteps. I raise up a little and look over the edge. There's a dude standing in front of the shrine. He's got brown hair, a black jacket, and an Ithaca 37 shotgun with a... red dot sight? Who the hell puts a red dot on a shotgun? I've always wondered why people do that. Maybe a laser module, but a freaking sight?

「We'll get to the street from the back,」he says. Wait, that's Japanese... and I can understand it?「We should be able to get to Takagi's house in about twenty minutes by foot.」

I have no idea who this guy's talking to, but whatever. More importantly, I can understand him! Woo! All that hard work paid off!

A group of groans sound out, ruining my happy moment. More zombies, the assholes they are, stumble up the stairs. That doesn't go against zombie laws or anything, y'know. The Japanese dude looks at the stairs, shocked to see all of the zombies.

「Why are they here?」he asks, confusion or anger in his voice, I can't tell which. Maybe it's both.

I pull the noise-canceling headphones on. "Don't ask me, pal," I mutter as I take aim on a line of zombies. They're perfectly lined up, which makes for a good save of ammo.

Without moving the rifle, I quickly look down at the Japanese- where did he go? I look a bit further down and- why is he grabbing some girl's tit? Is he holding her hostage or something? Human shield? This definitely isn't a good time to get frisky! That girl's pretty attractive though, ignoring the fact that I can see down her shirt.

I look back up and notice the zombies closing in. Damn. Leaning back in to the scope, I readjust my aim, lining up several zombies once more. I slowly exhale and squeeze the trigger. Thanks to these headphones, the gunshot's muffled for me, but not for those poor bastards.

The bullet goes through the first zombie's nose, exiting out the back of its neck and entering the next freaksack's eye. The bullet stops after the fifth zombie, blood sliding and spraying out of all of the victims' wounds.

"America, fuck yeah!" I shout, excited by the collateral damage. Were this Call of Duty multiplayer, I'd be hot shit.

I take aim again and pull the trigger, downing another four zombies with one bullet. I move away from the scope and look down as the Japanese dude runs out, looking up at me. I nonchalantly wave and flick the safety on. I'd love to snipe those maggotsacks, but I feel like getting personal.

Slinging the M110 and wrapping the headphones around my neck, I hop down from the roof, drawing the Colt M1911A1 and my combat knife at the same time. I land without feeling pain, likely due to adrenaline, and sprint towards the zombies. Damn, this is probably a really stupid idea.

I look behind me to see the girl that dude was feeling up also running. My head jerks forward and I raise the knife, jabbing it into a zombie's neck. Blood spurts out and I forcefully toss it to the ground, yanking the knife out and shooting another zombie in the head with the Colt.

I glance back at the dude and see he's beating a zombie with the butt of his shotgun. Dude, just shoot. I already did... which probably wasn't the smartest idea. I slice the neck of another zombie, trip it, and stomp its skull into the ground. The zombified woman's skull bursts like a piñata, blood and chunks of brain popping out.

I glance at the girl, who has purple hair and is wearing what looks kind of like a school uniform, skirt and stockings included, but I don't think those boots are standard issue for a school uniform. But why the purple hair? That's my question. Despite that, she's an attractive girl who has a sword, which I'm going to assume is a katana... and I'm staring at her ass, which is quite honestly very nice. It's nicely shaped and rather- Alright! Jake, you've got shit to kill! Get your head strai- holy shit! She just took out a couple zombies while jumping!

Reluctantly turning my attention back to the task at hand, I raise the 1911 and aim at five zombies, pulling the trigger each time they come into the sights. The five bullets go into different locations, such as the neck and the eye, but all five zombies fall to the ground. I take a gander at the surroundings, blood pooling from bodies everywhere.

The girl with the sword slices up a couple more zombies, causing some blood to spray. I guess she hit some important arteries. Shaking my head, I dash towards another zombie, knife raised, and jump onto it. My feet hit the zombie in the chest, causing it to fall on its back and the skull to bust open. Still on the body, I slice at the jugular of a nearby zombie and fire a shot at another. Both fall to the ground, blood getting on me from both attacks. I hit the mag release, slip the spent mag in my pocket, and slap a new one into the M1911.

「I'm wet!」the girl shouts. I look around and see a massive amount of corpses and blood. That was all us, huh?

My gaze drifts back to the girl, my eyebrows raising slowly. She's "wet?" Awkward... well, I'm pumped full of adrenaline, but I think that's different. Much different, since last time I checked, I didn't get aroused.

All the zombies seem to be dead, so I guess that gives me ample time to put these headphones in my backpack. I holster the Colt, unsling the M110, and set it on the ground. Then, I do the same with the backpack. I open it, slide the headphones in, close it, and slip it back on. I pick the M110 up and decide against slinging it.

I hear footsteps behind me and I turn around. The dude's walking toward me, holding his Ithaca at his side. His eyes shoot to the flag patch on my right shoulder, and his eyes get a little wide. I get the feeling he wants to know who I am.

"First Lieutenant Jacob Collins, United States Marine Corps," I say, not translating my name, or anything for that matter, into Japanese. I just felt like saying it like that. It sounds badass, to be honest. I could've just said 'Jake Collins,' but where's the fun in that?

"So..." He pauses and thinks, probably trying to form a sentence in spoken English. "American military?"

I shrug. "More or less." I can just tell that this dude prefers speaking Japanese. I know I would if I were him, but he also probably thinks I'm a legit Lieutenant in the USMC, like some hardass thirty-year old man. That being said, he likely figures that if he doesn't speak English, I'm gonna shoot his ass.

The girl with the katana runs up to us, jabbing the sheathed sword at me. 「Takashi, who is this?」she asks.

「Some American military guy,」this Takashi guy says. I am _not_ just _some _American military guy, asswipe!

「When did the Americans get here?」she asks.「Better yet, how long was he up there?」

「A couple minutes,」I say in their native tongue.「I've been in the city for a couple hours now, though.」Though I was unconscious most of the time.

「An American that speaks Japanese. How pleasant.」The girl bows slightly, not too shocked that I'm speaking Japanese, though Takashi's eyes widen a little.「I am Saeko Busujima.」Her eyes shoot to my uniform. 「If you don't mind me asking-」

「We can discuss this later, Saeko,」Takashi says.「We've got to get a move on, even more so thanks to Mister Loud Guns over here.」

Excuse me for helping your ass... and now my curiosity level is piqued.「Where are you headed?」I ask, twisting in place. 「I heard you mention a Takagi.」

Takashi nods.「We're headed to her place now. You can come along if you want, but you likely have orders, right?」

Good, that means they're likely headed to that Estate, then. It's not like there's a different Takagi, right? Okay, there likely is, but this is worth checking out. I do wonder where everyone else is, though.

I shake my head to his question.「Yes, and no. My radio's broken, so I can't even call for evacuation or orders. Plus, my squad's gone missing.」

「Then, like I said. You can come with us, but we gotta go. _Now_.」

I nod and he turns around with that Saeko chick and myself in tow. We begin running, which isn't new to me. The adrenaline is still pumping through me, so I still don't feel that much pain. Well, I do, but it doesn't bother me. In fact, I think all that killing was fun.

...Is it bad that I'm having this much fun in such a not fun situation doing an activity that shouldn't be considered fun? Maybe so, but that doesn't change the fact that it's fun. Granted, I'm not aroused like that Saeko girl, but I'm enjoying myself.

It's sadistic either way, though.

* * *

**Somewhere in Tokonosu City, fifteen minutes later...**

* * *

Takashi stopped to catch his breath, along with the other two. The American Marine didn't say much after they started running, even keeping an eye out for "them" when Saeko asked if Takashi meant what he said outside the shrine twenty minutes earlier. That was around the time the Marine started shooting, which was something Takashi had wanted to avoid. _At least he helped kill them,_ Takashi positively thought.

"Almost there," Takashi said to Saeko and Jacob, breathing heavily.

The Marine lowered his rifle, seemingly barely winded. "You can take as long as you want, man. There aren't any zombies about to bother us." As if to reinforce his point, Jacob raised his rifle before lowering it again.

Takashi nodded and took another breath. Regarding what Saeko asked, Takashi was sort of bullshitting her. He only meant what he said as a means of survival, basically using her as a weapon. He felt bad for doing it, but not so at the same time. Had he not said anything, Saeko would've been a wild card: completely and totally unpredictable. Hell, they might've died if the Marine wasn't there and Takashi didn't say anything.

After one final deep breath, Takashi righted himself. "Alright, let's go."

Saeko and Jacob nodded and followed Takashi as he ran on the road. He knew the road would take them right into Saya's backyard, but he never actually entered Saya's property before. _There's a first for everything._

Takashi's run ended quickly, as he ran out of breath again. He swore under his breath and prepared to run again when an arm slipped along his back. He looked over to see Saeko offering her support. With a nod, Takashi accepted the support and looked back up. They were extremely close to their destination. They began jogging, though Jacob kept switching between running and jogging in an awkward fashion.

"We can walk the rest of the way if you want," Jacob said after a minute of awkward shifting.

Even though they just met and Takashi didn't like what the Marine had done at the shrine, he had to admit that the American was an alright guy and seemed like he'd be a good ally in a fight. He had taken out zombies that might have posed a threat before Takashi or Saeko noticed them. His Japanese was pretty good, too, which aided in communication.

"We don't need to run, anyway," Takashi replied with a small grin, looking back at the Lieutenant. "We're already here."

In front of them was a large metal gate, one that Takashi had seen before. It was the back gate to the Takagi Estate.

The gate to safety.

* * *

**Twenty-five minutes earlier, Takagi Estate, Tokonosu City...**

* * *

"Missus Takagi will see you now."

Dom nodded at the servant and stood, entering the room. The people who brought him and the others allowed them a shower and a change of clothes, purportedly courtesy of the lady of the house, who met them at the door. Dom slipped into a pair of jeans and a random shirt after showering, but kept his leg holster on, the HK45 Tactical inside it.

The servant closed the door behind him and Dom closed the distance between him and the lady of the house, who wore a thin red dress that oddly fit her equally as odd purple hair. She motioned to a sofa, which Dom understood as, "Take a seat."

Dom sat, but he still couldn't wrap his head around what was going on. He was in Japan and a probationary member of the USMC, that much he could understand, but being taken into a super-rich person's home that was ultra-safe? That was hard to believe, just like his cousin's disappearance.

The lady took a seat as well, the only thing separating them being a low lying coffee table. Dom's eyes wandered about the room, taking everything in. From the big fireplace to the expensive looking paintings and the large flat-screen television, to the lavish carpeting and comfortable leather sofas, to the delectable-looking snacks on the table... Dom was in heaven.

"So, Mister Collins-"

"Please, just call me Dom," Dom interjected, immediately regretting it.

The lady merely nodded, making Dom retract his regret. "Alright, Dom, I am Yuriko Takagi, though you can just call me Yuriko. It's the American way, am I right?"

"You mean calling people by their first names, ma'am?"

She nodded and picked up a cup. "That is exactly what I mean, but there's obviously so much more we could describe as 'American.'"

Dom started to feel uneasy with the whole topic about Americans and didn't want to know how negatively they were perceived in Japan. "So, um... Your English is good. Are you fluent?"

Yuriko nodded, sipping at the cup. "You betcha." Dom didn't expect that kind of English from a Japanese woman. "I worked on Wall Street as a stockbroker for a number of years, so you kinda have to be fluent."

"I think you'd have to be fluent with numbers and have extremely good luck, personally," Dom replied. He never was a math guy.

Yuriko grinned. "I guess I'm both, then."

Speechless, Dom merely gaped at the woman. It sounded like she was gloating, but not gloating. Dom snapped back to his senses almost immediately, realizing how impolite it was to gape at a married woman. Given the lavish house, it was obvious to Dom that Yuriko's husband was likely a very powerful man.

She lowered her cup of tea and picked up a wine glass, swirling it a little. "Tell me, since you're a Marine and all, what exactly is your mission in Tokonosu City?"

"To my knowledge, we're just here to help secure the city with the JGSDF. If there's anything else about our mission specifically, my cousin would know." Dom wasn't entirely sure of what they were doing. All he really heard from the Colonel was that they were to scout out the area.

"Why is that?" She took a sip of wine, looking ridiculously regal while doing so. _I don't think she's doing this on purpose, but... damn, I am a little jealous. I don't know what I would do with all this space, though._

"He's the leader of our squad and possibly the only one who payed attention when we were being given orders."

"Not paying attention to orders can't possibly be good for a United States Marine." The remark was merely declarative.

Dom raised his hands in defense. "I blame jet lag."

Yuriko nodded. "Jet lag is horrible, so I can't blame you." She waved to the items on the table. "Go ahead and have some if you want."

"Thanks." He leaned forward and grabbed a glass of wine.

"Where is your cousin now?"

Dom sipped at the wine, admiring the smooth and classy taste, before grimacing heavily. "I have no idea. I checked the crash site, but I couldn't find him."

Yuriko, who was already informed of the crash by one of the rescue party members, made no facial expression as she sipped some more wine. "Do you think your cousin is dead or alive?"

Dom grimaced some more and fought back involuntary tears. Deep down, he felt that his cousin was still alive, but logic kept pointing towards the 'dead' idea.

"I honestly don't know. I feel that he is alive, but it seems logical to assume he's dead as well." He helped himself to one of the candies on the table after taking another sip of the wine.

"Well... I can send a search team to comb a five block area of where the helicopter crashed if you want."

Dom shook his head and downed the rest of the wine. "No, don't worry about it. If Jake's alive, he'll show up."

"And what makes you so sure he'll figure out you're here?" She casually sipped at her wine and set it down on the table.

He actually didn't know what made him think that. Luigi said it, and Dom couldn't help but agree. "Optimism, I guess, ma'am."

She merely shrugged. "Well, I won't doubt your optimism. I have some other things to attend to, so if you don't mind..."

"Oh, of course," Dom said, hopping up and walking to the door.

"Mister Collins," Yuriko said as Dom put his hand on the handle, catching his attention. "It was a pleasure speaking with you. I hope we can talk again soon."

"As do I, ma'am," Dom politely said, opening the door and walking out. The door slammed shut behind Dom, and he exhaled a sigh of relief. _Why was I so nervous?_

Dom shook his head and began walking down the long hall, to the room Yuriko said he could use. The RSASS was in there, as well as an extremely comfortable bed. That was one thing Dom looked forward to: rest.

"Hey!" a voice rang out in the hallway from behind Dom. He spun around to see a chubby guy with round glasses running towards him.

"What do you want?" Dom asked, slightly irritated that sleep was being delayed.

"Uh, you're one of the Marines, right?" His English was definitely accented, but not bad. In fact, it was barely noticeable, compared to some accents.

Dom nodded. "More or less, why?"

The chubby guy's eyes began to sparkle. "Oh! That's so cool!"

"Please, do get on with your point."

The chubby guy began to fidget. "I was wondering if I could see your guns." Dom sighed and pulled the HK out of the holster, which caused the chubby guy to get in close. "Oh! The German Heckler and Koch HK45 Tactical handgun! So cool!" He backed away and looked at Dom with still sparkling eyes. "You have other guns, right?"

Dom nodded with a sigh. "Yes, I do."

The guy put his hand on his chin and rubbed it before snapping his fingers. "I've got it!"

"Got what?" Dom was getting more irritated. He wanted sleep.

"Can you bring another gun out on the back balcony in ten minutes?" Dom nodded, wanting the guy to go away. He understood gun nuts, since Jake was one, but felt oddly irritable and tired.

"I'm Kohta, by the way," the chubby guy added. "Kohta Hirano."

"Dom Collins."

Kohta turned away and started jogging. "See you in ten, Dom!"

"Yeah, sure," Dom replied with a wave of his hand as he, too, began to walk away.

_Guess I should go get the RSASS, then..._

* * *

"Oh, this is kickass!"

Kohta picked up the rifle and examined it while Dom looked on rather emotionlessly. He was more worried about Jake than he let on. It didn't make matters any better that Kohta reminded him a little of his cousin.

"The R11 Remington Semi-Automatic Sniper System," Kohta observed, propping the RSASS on the balcony rail, aiming the rifle down at the gate, and looking down the scope. "Chambered in seven-point-six-two by fifty-one millimeter NATO rounds, has a twenty-round magazine, and an effect range of eight hundred to one thousand ten meters..." Kohta leaned back and raised the rifle, handing it back to Dom. "That's not standard issue, is it?"

Dom shook his head. "I don't think so. I know this HK," he patted his leg holster, "isn't standard issue. According to my cousin, standard issue sidearms for the USMC are-"

"The Beretta M9 and the Colt M1911, specifically the M45 MEUSOC and Kimber ICQB variants."

Dom nodded. "Yeah, those..."_ Damn, talk about gun nut. Jake'd love this guy._

"Hey Kohta!" a high-pitched voice asked from behind Dom. He looked back and saw a little girl with shoulder-length pink hair and a maid-like outfit. He hadn't noticed her earlier, nor had he noticed the little dog next to her.

"Huh?" Kohta asked, looking at her with raised eyebrows.

"Who's he?" she asked, pointing at Dom. Dom was surprised by the liberal use of English by three consecutive Japanese people he met.

"My name's Dominic, little girl," he said, popping a squat. "You can just call me Dom. Who are you?"

"I'm Alice!" the girl cheerfully said. "It's nice to meet you, Dom!"

Dom smiled and patted the girl's head. "Nice to meet you, too."

She smiled innocently like any little girl would and looked at Kohta. "Why are we in the back?" She got up and stood next to Kohta, who had begun leaning on the railing.

"Yeah, why are we?" Dom asked, walking to the railing as well.

"Well, a couple of our friends didn't make it with us last night," Kohta explained to Dom. "As such, I had a feeling that they'd use come through the back if they wanted to sneak in."

The dog sniffed and started barking towards the gate. Curious, Dom brought up the RSASS and looked down the scope to see what it was barking at.

"Zeke..." Alice muttered.

Dom saw the hedges, the fountain, the gate... He moved his aim up some and spotted a couple people: a guy with brown hair and a black jacket and pants being supported by a girl with purple hair wearing a school uniform.

"Takashi!" he heard Alice exclaim.

_Must be the brown haired dude..._ Dom moved his head back and cracked his neck before leaning back in.

"And another guy from the military!" Kohta added.

_What?!_ Dom moved the scope back over the newcomers and saw a third person with sandy blonde hair wearing United States Marine fatigues, blood smeared on his face.

Relief flooded through Dom, all of his worries quickly draining away. His cousin was safe and sound, though. _Luigi was right._

He kept his aim trained on his cousin to see what he would do. Jake raised his rifle and aimed towards Dom before lowering the rifle and giving a thumbs up with a silly grin on his face.

He felt a slight shove and Dom lowered his rifle, slinging it around his torso. He looked to his left and saw that Kohta was the one who shoved him.

"Come on," the gun nut said. "Lemme introduce you to my friends."

Dom nodded and followed Kohta and Alice as they ran inside. The quartet, the little dog included, ran through the halls and down the stairs. They kept going, eventually getting to the backyard. While Dom and Kohta slowed down, Alice kept running and jumped at the two people who accompanied Jake. Jake himself slung his sniper rifle and nodded towards Dom with a grin.

"You know him?" Kohta asked as they walked to meet with everyone.

"Of course I do," Dom said, feeling much less irritable. "He's my not-so-dead cousin."

Kohta gave Dom a surprised look. "So, being a Marine runs in the family?"

Dom shrugged. "I guess you could say that."

Jake looked up at Dom as they neared and began walking forward. "Dom!" his cousin exclaimed.

The two got face-to-face, their heights even. The relief Dom felt got so intense, he involuntarily pulled his cousin into a hug. "Thank god you're alright!"

"Same to you... too," Jake breathed. "You can... let go..." Dom let go and Jake backed up, taking a deep breath. "Jesus! I nearly die, but survive and meet you here, then you try to kill me!"

Dom laughed. "Yeah... Where the hell did you go after the helicopter crashed? I looked for you, man."

"A bookcase or some shit fell on me, I guess. Friggin' pure coincidence."

Kohta strolled over to Jake after conversing with his friends and observed his arsenal, minus the AUG. _Which is currently in my possession._

"Aw! A Colt M1911A1 and a Kimber Desert Warrior!" Kohta exclaimed, pointing at Jake's leg holsters. _He must be bilingual like Jake. He has to be._

"Yeah, what of 'em?" Jake responded. "They're pinnacles of badass. Problem?"

"Not at all. I agree, actually." Kohta's gaze drifted to Jake's back, where he had his rifle. "Is that..."

"A Knight's Armament M110 SASS?" Jake asked, causing Kohta to nod. "Yes it is."

Dom looked away and smirked. _Looks like this'll go well. Might as well tell the others about the good news..._

* * *

**AN: One big happy reunion! Maybe, maybe not.**

**Offer your thoughts, your suggestions, your criticisms, your... Something.**

**Anyway, I know that I put non-standard issue weapons in a USMC inventory, even guns that aren't in use by the USMC or any other branch.**

**Moving on, this is the last chapter in going to upload before Christmas, so: Happy Holidays to all, and to all a Happy Zombie Slaughter!**

**「****Eminence Front」**


	9. Respite From the Dead

Chapter Nine: Respite From the Dead

"So you're a Marine, too?" the chubby dude asks as we walk into the Estate.

I nod with a shrug. "We're all probationary, though," I truthfully reply. "We never went through boot camp or anything."

The guy nods and then scratches his head, seemingly embarrassed. "I'm Kohta, by the way. Kohta Hirano."

"Jacob Collins, Jake for short." I hold my hand out. "Pleasure to meet you, Kohta."

He takes my hand and shakes enthusiastically. "Likewise."

To be honest, I'm surprised this guy's speaking English and not Japanese. I look at Dom and cock an eyebrow, but not at the bandage on his forehead. He shrugs, so I guess he doesn't know why either...

Saeko's been supporting Takashi the whole time. While that's nice of her and all, I keep thinking about what she shouted half an hour ago. I'm, again, not one to talk, but getting aroused implies sadism. She doesn't look like the sadistic dominatrix type, though.

"So, Jake," Dom says as we pass a couple Japanese people. Seeing other survivors outside of a military encampment is a little weird. "Were you scared without me?" He's mocking me, it seems.

"Scared shitless," I sarcastically answer as I look toward him. "But seriously, I was worried about you guys."

"We were worried about you, too. But, Luigi had more faith in your survival skills than I did, to tell the truth."

Unsurprising. I'm not going to hold it against my cousin, since he's always been that way, underestimating me and all. But this time, it's kinda different... I coulda been dead or whatever, so I appreciate his concern.

I hear footsteps and look forward again. A girl wearing glasses, a frilly white shirt, and a black skirt is calmly walking towards us. Her hair is kind of like a bubblegum pink and there are white ribbons in it, forming pigtails... or ponytails, not sure which. Like Saeko, she has some pretty big knockers... wonder what she'd look like with her hair down...

Hentai. Jake, anata wa hentaidesu. These perverted thoughts aren't getting you anywhere in life.

The girl points towards Kohta. 「Take Saeko and Takashi to some rooms. Let them get some rest. 」Kohta nods and starts walking away with Saeko, Takashi, and the little girl I noticed earlier. Didn't know she was still there... The pink-haired girl then points at me.「I've seen the other guy around here for a couple hours, but who are you? Obviously an American Marine, but...」

「I'm his cousin,」I reply. Her eyes widen when she hears my Japanese words. Her fault for talking to someone in Japanese who's a gaikokujin.「Who are you, if I may ask?」

「I asked you first.」

"Name's Jake Collins, ma'am. And you are...?" Hopefully she understands English. I could have easily said that in Japanese, but I'd like to see how many people can speak my language.

"Saya Takagi," Pinky replies with a slight attitude.

"Is that the Japanese order of your name or not?"

"No. It should've been obvious. You are in the Takagi Estate, after all, not the Saya Estate."

Right. Dumb question... "So, you can speak English, Miss Takagi?"

"What, are you surprised? I am a genius."

...and that I didn't know. Glad to know that some personalities don't disappear between cultures. By her logic, I'm a genius for being able to speak Japanese.

"I'm going to assume that you're not-" Dom jabs me in the stomach with his elbow. Shit, he knew where I was going, but how can I change the subject? "-in a relationship?"

She huffs and turns away. "No, I am not, but I have no interest in dating someone like you."

Phew, that was- Hey! What's that supposed to mean? Ah, not like it matters anyway. I'm not looking for a girlfriend right now... but that doesn't mean I won't taunt.

"Not now, but you will soon, trust me."

"Doubt it."

She starts walking away just as another female begins walking towards us, except this chick's wearing a red dress and has purple hair. These hair colors are NOT natural in the United States, though they seem to be in Japan.

"Ah, hello again, Mister Collins," the woman says, looking at Dom.

"Missus Takagi," Dom says with a nod and a slight bow. "I said you can just call me Dom."

Wait, Takagi? My eyes widen. Does that mean...?

"Yes, I am Saya's mother," she says, surprising me. What is with people apparently reading my mind and shit? It's annoying! "Is your name Jake, by any chance?"

"Yes he is, ma'am," Dom says, beating me to the punch. "He just got here."

Saya's mom nods. "I was informed of three newcomers. I guess I missed the other two... Dom, could you leave us alone for a sec?"

Dom nods. "Sure." He walks away and disappears. He never just does that...

"You can call me Yuriko if you'd like." She walks towards a window and looks out of it, me in tow. "Your cousin told me that you know why the United States Marine Corps is in Tokonosu. Is there any reason besides helping the Self-Defense Forces?"

I nod. "We're mainly here to do just that, but yeah. There's another reason we - my squad, specifically - were sent here."

Yuriko turns around, her facial expression unchanged, and slightly nods. "You don't need to tell me, but my husband will definitely ask you once he gets back from securing water and electricity."

"When would that be?"

"Tomorrow."

"I see..." I look around the house awkwardly, my hands grazing off of my holstered weapons. "If you don't mind me asking..." No, that's just gonna be a waste of breath. Her husband is obviously calling the shots, since, if I'm right, Japanese society is patriarchal.

"What is it?" she asks.

「It's nothing, never mind.」

Yuriko looks at me with a raised eyebrow that lasts only a second. "Do you and your squad plan on staying or do you have orders?"

"Staying is a good idea, ma'am. I've lost contact with HQ and my orders before were to make contact with the head of the Estate."

「So, you're going to need to speak with my husband?」Switching between Japanese and English is easier than I thought, but I don't like it.

「More or less, so we're definitely staying until tomorrow. We may stay longer, if that's alright.」

「I have no issue with it, but my husband might. I doubt he will, though. As for rooms, you should find Saya. I have things to do, or I'd show you to one myself.」She turns around and begins walking away.「It was a pleasure, Jake.」

「Likewise, Takagi-san.」

She disappears after rounding a corner, leaving me to my devices. Standing here won't get anything done, so I ought to find Saya.

I walk the way Dom started walking, expecting to pop out from behind something and try scaring me. Reaching what I guess is the foyer, I look around. Dom didn't jump out at me or anything, which is odd. Maybe he went to his room, if he has one. My eyes drift up to the top of the stairs that are in front of me, spotting a pink-haired girl staring over the railing with a look that could kill.

"Hey Saya!" I shout, waving my hand in the air. She jumps a little and looks down at me. I'm expecting a kind of stern talking to or something since I used her given name. Instead, I get a softer look.

"What?" she asks, backing away from the railing.

I begin walking up the stairs.「Think you could show a handsome stud such as myself to a room?」

She doesn't smile or frown.「I'm not so sure about the 'handsome stud' part, but sure.」

I reach the top of the stairs.「Thanks.」

We begin walking and I look around, spinning a little while doing so. All of this lavish furnishing is just... Wow. Much lavish, such fancy, very expense, so money... Way to sound like an idiot...

「So, how long have you been in Japan? Long enough to learn the language, right?」

I shake my head.「I taught myself for the most part. I've only been in your country for a few hours, to be honest.」

She turns to me and raises her eyebrows. 「You've only been here a few hours?」I nod and she shakes her head.「Then why'd you learn Japanese?」

「Planned on moving to Tokyo or Sendai after I graduated. As you probably can tell, that's not happening in a normal sense.」

「Wait, you mean you're still in school?」

「I thought you were a genius, Saya-chan?」She glares at me, probably because I called her Saya-chan.「I apologize for calling you that, but yep. I am still in school. A junior, to be exact. Your-」

「Second-year, I know. I just started my second year...」She stops glaring, but doesn't accept my apology.「But why are you wearing military gear?」

「That's a story best saved for a later date, specifically after you show me to a room.」

She stops and grunts, shoving her arm towards a door. She must've been enjoying the conversation.「You can use the shower and change clothes if you want.」

I nod politely.「Thank you, Saya. Hopefully we can talk again soon. Maybe an intellectual discussion?」

She nods with sass and turns around.「Sure thing, smartass. Bathroom's down the hall.」She starts walking away, probably assuming I'm being a dick.

"I hope you know I'm being serious!"

She pauses for a second, but resumes walking almost immediately. Whatever, she can be that way. I turn to the door and twist the handle, the exquisitely carved wooden plank slowly turning on its hinges.

The room, just like the rest of the house, is fairly lavish. I wouldn't mind having as much money as the Takagi family seems to have. I have no clue what the hell I'd buy with it, but definitely not some lavish house like this. Not like money's any good now, though...

There's a big bed, an armoire, some dressers, a mirror... Honestly, it's too fancy to be noteworthy. It doesn't have any of those storytelling marks that other houses have, like torn wallpaper that indicates a fight. Nope, none of that here.

I unsling the M110 and set it next to the bed. I then pull the backpack off and set it down right next to the rifle. I pull off the vest, the collective weight that's been pulled off of my shoulders feeling ridiculously good. My hands pull off all four of the pads and then move back up to unbutton the jacket, tossing it aside once it's off. My boots and socks come off next, then my hands move up to my pants. After putting them on the bed, leg holsters still attached, I walk to the armoire and pull it open.

Shirts, Japanese robes, some pants, and other clothing articles all hang in it. I grab a pair of track pants and pull them on, keeping my eye on the wide-open door. I grab a shirt and pull the black one I'm wearing off, sliding the plain red t-shirt on. Now all I need to do is find the shower. Saya said the bathroom was down the hall, so I guess I oughta start looking.

* * *

I walk out of the bathroom, feeling akin to a new man. Showers are always nice, no matter what country you are in. I'm a little disappointed I didn't get to use a Japanese-style shower, though. They're all Western-style in this place, it seems.

I walk back towards my room, my wet hair constantly reminding me of the need to get a haircut. If I wash off the blade, I could use the combat knife, though that'd hurt. I don't even trust myself with a blade that much.

I step into the room and yawn. This peace and safety is a nice change of pace, but the running around I did just an hour and a half ago left me restless. I wanna do stuff and I doubt that any of the others will be up to it, since they're all experiencing jet lag. Maybe I should socialize, but I dunno.

I walk to the bed and pull the leg holsters off of my pants, setting them on top of the backpack. I take the magazines out of the pants' pockets and slide them into the backpack. If there are maids or something here, I don't want them to take my holsters and wash the 1911s and whatever else is inside. Last time I checked, washing machines aren't part of the cleaning process.

Sighing, my arms raise in a stretch. I could just lay on this bed for god knows how long or meet some people. I could talk with Saya again or get in a debate with that Kohta dude. He's a pretty gun savvy dude, and I like that.

Unsure of what to do, I sit on the bed, swinging my feet back and forth. There's got to be something to do... I stand up and kneel next to my backpack, sifting through it until my fingers brush against a familiar rounded and rectangular object: my iPod.

Pulling the encased device out of the bag, I click the home button, my Windows 7-esque lock screen showing up. I sit back down as my finger swipes to the right, unlocking it, and begins to swipe through the home screen. I could play Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, but I'm not feeling it right now. Maybe some music will suffice...

I swipe back to the first page and tap the Music app, then Shuffle. The music starts playing, a guitar primarily, but there's some drumming. I clear my throat and begin to sing along with Bob Seger.

"She stood there bright as the sun on that California coast... He was a midwestern boy on his own... She looked at him with those soft eyes, so innocent and blue... He knew right then he was too far from home... Oh, he was too far from home!"

My foot starts tapping in conjunction with the beat. While this isn't helping me think of something to do, it, much like the safety of the mansion, is a nice change of pace.

My eyes wander up to the door just as the second verse is about to begin and a slender yet busty figure is standing in the doorway. Wearing a loose white shirt and sweatpants is Saeko, the possibly sadistic purple-haired girl whose ass I kept staring at.

I fumble to pause the music, but she holds up her hand. 「Let it play,」she says.

I nod, set the iPod down, and look back at her.「Hey Saeko. Uh... what brings you here?」

She walks into the room.「I was just walking by and heard you singing.」

「Oh.」That's it, then? Don't start flattering me.

「I've heard the song before. My father brought a CD back from one of his trips to America that had the song on it.」

「So, I guess you enjoy American music?」

She shrugs, which isn't helping me any, and walks forward some more.「You know, you were pretty good with that knife earlier.」

Total bullshit.「I was merely stabbing zombies with it, no big deal. Most of the time, I was shooting.」

「That may be, but you had good form. You definitely have skill with guns, but have you ever tried using a sword?」

I shake my head.「There isn't much use for swords in my life. I've been surrounded by firearms my whole life, but rarely have I been near swords. Besides, in this kind of situation, they're impractical. Silent and conservative, but impractical.」

The purple-haired girl seems to ignore my comment about the impracticability of swords.「Well, you want to try your hand at a sword fight?」

I know she doesn't mean a real one... At least I sure as shit hope not.「Just a mock fight, right?」

「Not really. We're not going to use real swords, obviously, but I doubt that the proper protective equipment is here.」

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I ask. Oops. I forgot how to Japan... Again with the stupid sounding statements! 「Sorry. For speaking in English, I mean.」

"It's not a problem. Several people from English-speaking nations have been trained by my father. Americans, British, Australians, Canadians..."

"So I take it you learned English for exactly this reason?"

She shrugs.「More or less. 」Again, let's just switch languages whenever, people!「But, what I said meant exactly as it sounded.」

Well, I do prefer people being straightforward. No need to sugarcoat.「So long as none of my bones get broken, you're on.」

She laughs.「I can't assure that, Mister Collins.」

「Just call me Jake. 」She nods, seemingly making a note to do that.

「Stay here and wait for a second.」

She leaves before I can ask what for. I'm not going to question her, lest she cuts me up and gets horny while doing so. That's disturbing to no end. Like that Haruna girl in Durarara! who was possessed by that sword, Saika. She wanted to spread her love by cutting people and controlling them. That freaking music that played during those "Slasher" scenes in that show was almost as disturbing. I couldn't go to sleep once because of it.

I pick up my iPod and pause the music, right at the beginning of "Her Strut." Huh, a Bob Seger double-play. I set the device onto the bed and stand just as Saeko slides back into the room, two wooden swords in her hands. Too bad "Old Time Rock and Roll" wasn't playing.

「Follow me,」she says, not a single huff for breath being made.

I merely nod and begin following her as she walks out of the room. I actually feel naked without either 1911. Very naked...

「So, where are we going?」I ask, the awkward silence just a bit too awkward.

「I was told of a fairly empty room we could use.」

Great...「Hey, Saeko.」She turns her head toward me. Looking at her this way, there's no way in hell she'd come off as a sadist. Maybe I'm just overthinking this whole ordeal.「Wasn't there something you wanted to ask me back at the shrine?」

Realization spreads across her face. Either that or remembrance.「Right! I actually want to ask you a couple things.」

「Shoot.」

She scratches her chin.「For one, why'd you start shooting? You know that they're attra-」

「They're attracted to sound, I know. I've had my fair share of run-ins with them back in Seattle. As for why I started shooting... well, I didn't know when Takashi was going to attack and you were being... groped, it looked like. That being said, they were gaining ground and you guys weren't doing anything, so I shot.」

She nods.「That makes sense, I guess.」

「What else did you want to ask?」

Her head shakes, her straight purple hair swinging back and forth.「I'll ask you later.」She turns to a door and opens it, revealing an empty room. She closes the door behind us and hands me one of the swords. I didn't notice it until now, but she's pretty tall for a Japanese girl. Well, she's a couple inches shorter than I am so she's... I dunno, five foot eight? Aren't Japanese girls typically five foot three or something? Maybe that's just a stereotype...

Saeko walks to the opposite side of the room and bows slightly. I follow suit awkwardly and look back at her. She's holding her sword with both hands at the base, calmly inhaling and exhaling. A quick wave of fear flows through me. She's awfully serious about this and it's unsettling. What if she somehow chops my limbs off with that?

I shake my head and remove all of the fear from my mind. I just survived a helicopter crash, I'll be fine. Granted, cockiness like that doesn't get you to places very fast. Cracking my neck, I exhale and inhale like she is. I'm just too on edge, that's all.

「Have you ever participated in kendo, Jake?」Saeko calmly asks.

「Not at all.」Hell, I don't know the first thing about kendo other than its name and the fact it's some kind of swordsmanship sport.

Saeko grins a little.「So we're just sparring... Well, this should be interesting.」

The fear returns. By sparring, I figure she means we're going to swing these sticks at each other until one of us submits? This is one hell of a way to get to know a stranger.

She draws her sword back with her right arm and moves her left hand to the tip of the blunt object. I weigh my sword, noting its relatively heavy weight. It's gonna hurt like a bitch if I get hit, which is likely to happen since I have no experience with these things. From one strange situation to the next... Jake, how do you do it?

Saeko dashes forward and swings, with my arms moving my sword up just in the nick of time to parry. She backs away and grins some more.

「That was luck, wasn't it?」she asks.

「Without a shadow of a doubt,」I agree with a nervous laugh.

Oh man, I am fucked. Note to self: never accept an invitation to a sparring match with someone who is obviously skilled and messed up some zombies' days with just a sword again.

I decide to make the next move and dash forward, lowering the sword and swinging upward. Saeko blocks my strike with absolute ease and disarms me. The wooden sword flies out of my hands and Saeko starts to jab the sword at me. I hop back, narrowly evading the tip of the sword, and dive to the sword. It enters my hands and I roll onto my back and raise the sword just as Saeko slashes downward. I start shifting my weight backward and raise my foot, kicking her sword up into the air. Doing a backward roll, I hop to my feet and exhale, my mind focused on victory while Saeko simply raises her hand and catches the sword.

Adrenaline is pumping through me once again and it feels great. A sly grin wipes across my face as I ready myself. Saeko, with an ever-growing grin on her face, dashes toward me again and slashes at my face. I duck to the right and slash at her side, but she blocks it with lightning-fast reflexes. Undeterred, I make another swing towards her abdomen, and expecting a block, I change the course of my strike, going towards the thighs instead just as Saeko's sword is about to connect with mine.

My wooden weapon connects with her right thigh, possibly leaving a red mark, but she doesn't even grunt in pain. Please don't tell me she's gonna get off on this.

Rather than stop, Saeko raises her sword with perfect composure once more and rolls to the side. Instinctively, my arm swings the sword at hers to block. The swords connect and since I'm holding mine with one hand right now, the strength of her attack nearly sends it flying. I manage to keep it steady and grab the sword with my other hand, pushing up a little. We're at a complete stalemate right now, equally matched in power. In terms of skill, we're mismatched, however. My "skill" seems to be pure adrenaline and instinct, but Saeko... she's got true skill with this.

I hop back, my sword breaking from Saeko's. While still in the air, Saeko somehow manages to slice at my lower legs, her sword colliding with my left calf. Pain springs through my leg due to the sheer power behind the strike, but I keep my lid on and land with a slight wince. Was she trying to trip me in the air, if that even makes sense? It's a dastardly tactic, one that I might employ.

Regaining my footing, I break into a full grin. This is fun. Painful, but fun.

Saeko leaps into the air and prepares to strike downward. I quickly sidestep and swing at her side, but she somehow parries. She expected that, didn't she? No matter, I'll go on the defensive and see if I can predict her movements for an attack.

I back up and exhale. Surprisingly, I'm not sweating. Actually, that's unsurprising, given the fact that I barely sweat. No clue why.

Saeko dashes forward again, lowering her sword and swinging upward. I raise my sword in a block and immediately roll to the side, not wanting to get backed into a corner. Saeko spins around and slashes at me, to which I jump back, the tip catching my shirt.

I'm not an expert in this kind of thing, but her attacks don't seem desperate at all. She's calm and collected with each and every movement she makes. I guess that makes her a very deadly adversary. Another note to self: don't get on this chick's bad side.

I backpedal some more and Saeko dashes forward yet again, making several furious slashes. I block some with the sword, ducking and rolling to evade the other slashes. Raising my sword, I decide now's the time to begin my assault and slash at her a couple times. She seems to anticipate every move I make, blocking each strike as if I was moving as slow as Luke. Time to think out of the box, Jake...

She probably won't fall for that trick I did earlier, changing the course of the strike. She's blocking strikes further out and even if she wasn't, that wasn't easy to do the first time. Hell, I don't think I could do it again.

Saeko dashes forward once more and a really stupid idea pops into my head. Yeah, this is freaking stupid beyond stupid can be.

As her sword comes down, I raise my left hand and grab onto the sword, intense pain shooting through. Ignoring the pain, my right arm lashes out at Saeko's side with the sword, the force of the hit vibrating through the sword. My adversary whimpers in pain and a quick glance at her face reveals surprise. I'd be shocked if someone did that, too.

"Fuck..." I whisper through clenched teeth. Lowering the sword, I back away and drop it, grasping my left hand with my right one. Jesus, that was an insanely stupid idea.

I look at Saeko and she lowers her sword as well, breathing faster than she was. Guess I knocked the wind out of her. I wouldn't be surprised, since I hit her in the ribcage pretty hard. At least I thought it was a hard hit.

I shake my hand in discomfort and walk towards Saeko. I think I sprained my wrist or something. It's not broken, but... damn, the force she had in that strike was insane! I definitely don't want to fight her with actual swords. I get the feeling that I'd become minced American meat if that happened.

Saeko looks at me and bows slightly. To be polite, I follow her lead.「I admit, I didn't expect you to put up much of a fight,」she says.

「I didn't expect myself to do the same either.」

She inhales deeply and then sighs.「I don't think grabbing the sword is a smart idea, for future reference.」

No shit.「Yeah, I think I've figured that out the hard way.」

Saeko grins a little.「It was a bold move, though. I didn't expect it.」She sets her sword down gently and motions for me to follow as she walks out of the room.「Is your hand fine?」

「Not really...」

「Then come with me. I know someone who'll check you out.」

I nod and begin following her. The halls aren't any different from earlier, still as lavish as ever. I wasn't expecting them to change, but it's still too fancy to grasp.

We turn into another room, a blonde-haired woman sitting at a desk with her head down. Saeko clears her throat and the woman sits up and turns around, a sleepy expression on her face. When she turns around completely, it becomes apparent that she is well-endowed. Is there anyone here without huge boobs?

「Oh hey, Saeko,」she drowsily says.「Hi new guy...」Her eyes slowly widen.「Ah! New guy?!」

Saeko grins a little and motions to the woman.「Allow me to introduce you. Jake, this is Shizuka Marikawa, our school nurse.」I guess she means from her school. She then motions to me.「Marikawa-san, this is Jake Collins, a United States Marine.」

「He doesn't look like a Marine,」Marikawa-san says, looking me over.「He doesn't have those big muscles and rugged features that Marines have.」

I shake my head. Someone's hung up on stereotypes.「No, I don't. I see no problem with that.」Surprisingly, she doesn't bat an eye at the fact I'm speaking Japanese.

「Jake here may have an issue with his hand and we hoped you could check it out,」Saeko says before the nurse can reply, motioning to my left hand.

The blonde gasps and stands up, walking to us and grabbing my injured hand. She is also fairly tall and I cringe in pain from her grabbing.「What happened?」she asks as she begins feeling up my hand.

「Just a friendly sparring match,」I say.「Which may or may not have resulted in me grabbing a sword as it was swung at me.」

Marikawa-san rubs my wrist some.「It's starting to swell and your wrist is warm and tender...」She lets my hand go and backs up.「It seems you've sprained your wrist.」Called it. She walks to her desk and reaches inside, pulling out some bandage wrap. She walks back over to me and wraps up my wrist tightly, but not to the point of cutting off blood flow.「Just rest it for a while and you should feel better.」

That's something I already know.「Thanks, I appreciate it,」I say regardless.

The nurse smiles.「Anytime!」

Saeko and I walk out of the room and the nurse walks back to her desk. Well, she was nice. I sigh and cross my arms. Now that I've got into a sparring match with an attractive girl and sprained my wrist in doing so, what else can I do?

「What were you doing on top of the shrine?」Saeko asks out of the blue.

「I needed to scout the area. More specifically, I needed to find this very Estate.」

「Guess it's good we came out of the shrine, huh?」

I nod with a shrug.「Yeah. I might've been wandering around for a while until I found this place.」

We reach the stairs and stop.「I've got to go do something,」she says.「See you around, Jake.」

「Yeah, see you around,」I say as she walks down the stairs. Well, that was much more pleasant than I thought it would be. I look around for somewhere to go and a figure catches my eye down the hall: Dom.

"Well, Jake," he says, walking towards me with... my AUG? "I didn't expect you to try making the pooty drip so soon."

I shake my head and hold my right hand out. "Just friendly conversation. Now give me that."

He holds the AUG out by the grip and I grab it. Holding it out by the grip isn't that smart, but neither was piloting a helicopter while under the effects of jet lag. Looks like this is the lesser of two stupid evils. That doesn't make sense...

My cousin leans in and looks at my left wrist. "The hell happened to you?"

"Got into a little scuffle with that girl."

Dom shakes his head and sighs. "Jesus, dude. You like to pick fights with girls, don't you?"

I laugh a little. "No, it was a friendly sparring match."

"If it was so friendly, why'd you get bandaged?"

"I grabbed her sword mid-strike."

"So it was your fault you got hurt?" I nod. "You are an idiot, you know that?"

I shrug and begin walking back to my room, my cousin in tow. "No matter, it was fun." I sigh and look out the windows to our right. "How's everyone holding up?"

"Luke's fine, but he's being a lazyass and sleeping." Unsurprising. "When I talked to Luigi earlier, he was planning something, maybe a search and rescue thing for you. Now that you're here, that's gone to shit and he's asleep, too."

"What about Kiera?" I'm still curious about her shooting her dad.

"She's talked to me, but nothing about her dad. I know that's what you're getting at."

We pass a couple of people carrying a big box. "Is she injured?"

Dom shrugs as we reach my room and duck inside. "She was walking with a limp earlier, but she might've gotten over it."

I set the the AUG down next to the M110 and look around. My uniform's gone, probably taken away for cleaning. I sigh and and sit down on the bed. It sure is comfortable, but I don't feel like sleeping.

"I'm bored," I complain.

"And I'm Dom. Nice to meet you, Bored."

I smack my cousin in the arm and he sits down next to me. "Smartass."

"Hey, you're not the only one allowed to be that way." He scratches his neck. "Besides, I'm hungry."

"That's irrelevant. You know that, right?" My stomach grumbles in response.

Dom starts laughing. "Dude, I heard that. Is it still irrelevant now?"

I grunt. "No. I think I'm gonna take a nap first, though."

My cousin stands and shakes his head. "Y'know, normally I'd be the one who takes the naps around here, right?"

"And you'd sleep for half a day. Yeah, I know." I lie down on the bed and put my hands behind my head. "I'd like some peace and quiet now."

"So demanding, cousin." He walks toward the door and grabs hold of the door. "Sleep tight and don't let the purple-haired girl strike!"

He shuts the door and I roll on my side with a grin. Asshole... My eyes close and I slowly feel myself drift into unconsciousness. Ah, this bed is so... so comfortable...

* * *

**Z-Day + 3**

**5:37 P.M. JST**

**Takagi Estate, Tokonosu City, Tokonosu Prefecture, Japan...**

* * *

I yawn and sit up, looking around the room. Outside the window, the lighting seems a little less blue than it should be. I grab my iPod and click the Home button: 5:37 P.M.

One, thank god it auto-adjusted the time in the airport. Two, how the hell did I sleep so long? Yawning again, I stretch and get up. My wrist is sore and- ow! Okay, don't twist it in funny ways.

Nothing in this room's changed. At least I didn't wake up to Kiera next to me again. I mean, she's a nice girl and all, despite her mysterious hatred for her father, but I don't feel attracted to her. Maybe since I saved her, she thinks that she's obligated to love me or something, but I don't like that.

Shrugging, I open the door and step outside. Another thing I want to know is why this family's allowing five random people stay in their house. I didn't really see that many more survivors. Hell, I don't even know if I should contact HQ about this. Not like I can, but-

"About damn time you got up!"

I look to my right and see Luigi walking towards me with Luke in tow. He has a bandage on his cheek, kinda like Dom did. Luke has a couple above his brow.

"Glad to see you ladies are alright," I say with a slight grin.

"You hungry?" my chubby friend asks.

"Hell yeah I'm hungry. I feel like I could eat as much pizza as Luke does."

Luke raises an eyebrow. "Really? Is that a challenge?"

I step forward. "You bet your ass it is."

"Okay, okay!" Luigi holds his palm out vertically and motions downward. Weird. "The cooks or whatever here made some dinner-"

"Actually, it's a lot of dinner," Luke interjects.

"Thank you for the information, daywalker. Anyway, there's food and stuff, so we figured you might want some."

"Then you figured correctly. Let's go," I say, giddy at the thought of food.

My friends turn around and start walking to the stairs, me in tow. I'm waiting for some kind of mood swing from one of them, since they're probably still experiencing jet lag. I crack my neck and look out the windows. I didn't notice those tents before... Huh. Wait, are there people out there?

"So Dom told me where you ended up being," Luigi says as we begin descending the stairs. "How the hell do you end up underneath a bookcase?"

I shrug and scratch my neck, returning my attention to my friends. "I don't even know how that happened because it doesn't seem possible. Logically, I should've burned to death with the pilot."

Luke looks back and grins. "Well, looks like we're stuck with ya."

I shove him, almost making him tumble. "And you're gonna like it, you hear?"

Luke laughs and we keep walking. Luigi takes point, leading us through the ground floor until we reach a big-ass dining hall. Exquisite paintings and expensive wallpaper are almost unnoticeable because of the even more flashy chandelier. Comfortable looking sofas are pushed against the walls and platters adorn the huge dining table, which is surrounded by people. Again, this is honestly too much.

「Please, have as much as you want.」I look around and see Yuriko walk in behind us.「There's plenty to go around, Jake.」

I bow my head as Luke and Luigi walk off to get some grub.「Takagi-san,」I say, thinking about the tents and being formal and stuff.「Is it really alright if we stay in here?」

She raises an eyebrow and picks up a glass of wine.「What do you mean? Of course it is. We do have the space, you know.」

No kidding you have the friggin' space.「What happened to my uniform?」

「Oh, it's being washed. Is there a problem?」

Well, I don't know if washing instructions are on there, but I don't see the harm in doing so.「No, no there's not.」

Yuriko doesn't seem suspicious of me. Good, I don't want people to get the wrong idea. 「Like I said, go and indulge, Jake. There's more than enough.」

I nod in thanks and walk to the table with Luke and Luigi. The main dining must be done, since everyone's treating it like a buffet. I spot Saya and Kohta in the crowd since they stand out. Pink hair and tactical vests tend to do that, even more so if combined. Luigi hands me a plate and Luke hands me some utensils.

"Dom and Kiera are mingling in there somewhere," Luigi says, probably noticing my analytical gaze over the crowd.

It's a little surprising that Dom's not sleeping right now. Usually, he'd be napping around this time. Well, food is present and that was before this whole zombie outbreak nonsense.

I shrug and put some food on my plate, a mixture of Japanese and Western food. I'm not going to question the presence of these little omelette rolls, even though they seem like a lunch food. I put some of those, some barbecued chicken, and a little bit of misplaced spaghetti on my plate.

I begin eating while standing, something I always do. The omelettes aren't bad at all and they're all gone before I know it. Same with the chicken and the spaghetti... Damn, I'm hungry. Awkwardly, I set the empty plate down on the table and casually walk away from it, mingling in the crowd. I can sense Luke and Luigi looking for me, but that doesn't matter.

I wade through the crowd, which really isn't that big, and accidentally bump into someone.

"Sorry," I say, looking at who I bumped into. The bumpee is none other than Kiera, who doesn't seem like she's gonna say anything. With a sigh and shake my head. Why does this not surprise me?

"Oh, hey Jake," a familiar voice says. I look at Dom, who's holding two glasses filled with different beverages. Given the presence of alcohol here, I won't be surprised if Dom poured himself some bubbly.

"Greetings."

"No need to be awkward, dude."

"Whatever." I think I need some fresh air or something. I feel a little stifled, smothered even. I break off from the crowd and hold my hand up to my cousin, who just stares at me with a raised eyebrow.

I walk out of the dining room with a full stomach, patting it like characters do in animated shows after they've eaten a lot. Granted, my stomach isn't bulging like I'm pregnant...

「I don't care!」

The loud and feminine voice comes from the second floor, followed by a groan of displeasure. I look up and see Saya storming down the stairs, her ponytails swinging back and forth as she does so. She completely ignores me and walks outside, slamming the door behind her. Looking back up, I see Yuriko looking down with a frown on her face. She sighs and walks behind the cover of the wall.

Now I'm curious, partly because she somehow teleported to the second floor. No, I just wasn't paying attention. Regardless, I'm still curious.

Since I have nothing else to do, I follow Saya. Disregarding the fact I'm not wearing shoes, I open the front door and step out onto a slab of concrete covered by something, likely a balcony. Leaning on a support column is Saya, her ponytails swaying lightly with the light breeze.

「I said leave me alone!」she shouts when the door closes.

"Jesus, be that way. I didn't even do anything to you," I reply, standing still. The sky looks a little orange now. I must've lost track of time while I ate.

She turns her head slightly and sighs. 「Sorry, I thought you were someone else.」She turns her head back around.

I walk forward some.「It's cool.」

Saya keeps her head pointed towards the driveway, if you want to call it that.「Why are you out here and not in there, enjoying all the food and socializing?」

I lean on the column opposite hers. 「Already had some. Besides, it feels like a party or something in there. There is nothing to really celebrate.」

Maybe that's why I felt stifled, since it felt like some demented party.

She snorts.「I'm surprised you see it that way.」

「Why's that?」

She looks at me.「I thought you'd be the kind of person who would be celebrating being in safety.」

I shake my head.「Sure, it's nice being safe. None of those things to deal with, a place to sleep, food... But, quite honestly, it's terribly boring.」

She raises her eyebrows.「You mean that you find this fun?」

When she puts it that way... I guess I do find it fun, which is sick, in a way.

「If you want to say that, but there's nothing to do, to be perfectly fair. I've been here for almost twelve hours and I spent most of that time sleeping.」

「Then why don't you leave?」There's a hint of smartass in her voice.「No one's stopping you and your posse of military men.」

「And one woman,」I add, not leaving Kiera out.「We can't really leave anyway.」

「And why not?」

「For one, I'm waiting for your father to return. I have to speak with him.」That causes Saya to frown.「Secondly, I don't know the first damn thing about how this city is set up. Everything's unknown to me...」Just like Seattle. How odd.

「But you have no problem fighting those things?」

I shake my head again.「Not one bit. I've killed... I don't know, close to ninety or a hundred.」Not counting my approximate dozen human kills. That would certainly spin this wheel in the wrong direction.

Saya's eyes widen a little and her frown disappears.「That's a lot...」

I nod emotionlessly.「That spans two countries, as well.」I clear my throat.「So! What was that with you and your mom?」

Her gaze hardens and she grimaces.「It's none of your business.」

「I understand. I mean, I am a total stranger after all.」

She sighs and nods.「Yes, that you are.」She turns around and starts toward the door.「See you around.」

I nod and hold up my hand.「Yeah, see you.」

She walks back into the mansion while I just look at the horizon. She definitely has her own conflicts, we all do. Even with our parents, like she seems to have. I don't think she's normally like that, though. Saya seems more like an in-your-face kind of girl, which is something she certainly wasn't just now. Besides, what would trouble a girl who has everything she could ever want? Money, beauty, intelligence... hell, I'd kill to have that triple entente. Not like I haven't killed already...

Shaking my head, I look around. Sitting here is getting us nowhere fast and I honestly don't think I should even attempt to contact HQ. What good will that do us? We'll end up getting thrown into a suicide mission. Guess it's a good thing the radio's screwy.

Shrugging, I look back to the door. There's nothing to do. I can't spar with Saeko again, unless I want a broken hand or torn ligament, which are two things I don't look forward to having in this new, hellish reality. Physical ailments will just make you weaker and more susceptible to becoming a zombie.

I turn around and start walking back inside. Maybe I should celebrate the safety of this place... No, I shouldn't. It's too good to be true, a legitimate safe haven. This place sure seems like it, but there's something that'll happen and make it a not-so-safe haven.

Of course, we won't know until it happens.

* * *

**Z-Day + 4**

**1:15 P.M. JST**

**Takagi Estate, Tokonosu City, Tokonosu Prefecture, Japan...**

* * *

「So, Jacob, is it?」I nod.「You are a United States Marine Lieutenant and you speak Japanese?」

「Yes, sir.」The Marine part should have been obvious, given my uniform.

Souichiro Takagi, the head of this fine establishment, sits in front of me. What he's wearing could be considered formal attire, but I think it's more like a naval uniform, old Japanese military wear. That's still formal though, right? It's weird then, because he's wearing formal Japanese military wear and I'm wearing a USMC battle dress uniform.

He turns his head and sighs.「What business does the United States have in Japan? The situation isn't contained in America, is it?」

My turn to sigh.「No, it is not.」

He shoots up and puts his hand down on the table.「Then why the hell are you here?!」

I hold my hand up.「I've wondered the same thing, Takagi-san.」He raises an eyebrow and scoffs a little.「I'm being completely honest. When I was informed just two mornings ago that we'd be flying to Japan, I had the same exact thought. It's not my choice, but the President's. As for why my squad is here at your residence, that's on orders of my superiors.」

Souichiro sits back down and scratches his neck, sighing.「And the American Presidency has seen several shifts in power in the past couple days, hasn't it? But, as for your presence here, why is that?」

I'm only aware of one shift in power, but whatever.「Our orders were originally to just scout out the area and, if at all possible, gain entry to your community, per se. 」

His eyes widen.「And what were you to do if you succeeded in entering the Estate?」

「Simply what I'm going to do now: ask for permission to have the USMC enter the Estate and form an alliance.」I wasn't told about alliances, but that's where I think this affair would go.

He gets up and walks to a window, looking over the city.「While I'd appreciate the help, I have some unsavory news for you and your superiors.」

I don't move, instead putting my hands together behind my back.「And that is...?」

The Takagi patriarch doesn't move or make any facial expressions.「In a few days time, I plan on taking these survivors elsewhere. In other words, we're leaving the Estate.」He turns around and crosses his arms.「Certainly your superiors will understand.」

「I sure they will and I will inform them soon, but I'm afraid that my squad and I will be forced to stay.」He doesn't need to know that I can't actually inform HQ.

He cocks an eyebrow.「Why?」

「We have no means of getting back. I'm guessing that you know of our helicopter crashing?」He nods slightly, a serious look on his face.「Well, the Marines are situated on the offshore airport. They've cut off all access except by air, so you can figure the rest out.」

Souichiro nods.「Indeed.」He turns back to the window, staring over the city again.「You know, I don't understand you Americans.」

Oh great, he's gonna be THAT guy.「In my defense, I don't understand the Japanese.」

「Understandable, but what I'm getting at is why you send so much aid to foreign nations, yet you barely help your own countrymen. For example, you said that the situation wasn't under control in the United States, yet American forces are being deployed all over the world.」

「Don't think I understand the reasoning behind it. I wonder why the government does that all the time. However, some places are safe, like where I live, but others have gone up in flames.」Literally in the case of Detroit.

He scoffs.「You're a Lieutenant and you don't understand? When did you join the military, last week?」

A couple days ago, actually.「I could serve in the Marines for thirty years and still not understand why the government does what it does. Understanding the government is a political thing, not a military thing, and I'm not involved with politics. They complicate things.」

「Indeed they do, Jacob.」He walks away from the window.「The government of the United States might be like myself, concerned about the people under my protection. However, within all forms of government - local, national, global - there are opponents to a leader's political views. It's completely normal.」

Uh... Where the hell did this conversation go?「What are you getting at, exactly?」

Souichiro frowns.「Despite my concern for these people, these survivors, they don't trust me. Even from a military perspective you can understand that.」

Yeah. Your men don't trust you for some reason and you might have a mutiny, even if your leadership up until then has been flawless. But what he's getting at is from a political perspective, though. Is he trying to say that people are actually wary of him because of something political?

「Why exactly don't people trust you, then? I understand it's a political difference, but-」

「I'm the head of an ultranationalist political group.」

Yep. Those are political views I don't agree with, much like communism and socialism. Don't agree with 'em at all, but ultranationalism is the lesser of three evils.「I can see why people oppose your views.」

He stops near the door to the room.「How do you feel, now knowing I lead a party that Americans are against?」

I don't think all Americans are against ultranationalism, because there are radical groups.「Politically, I despise you. As a person, I'm indifferent. Sure, your ideals might deter people, but it all comes down to the man himself. Whether he's benevolent and caring or malevolent and tyrannical should determine how he is viewed. Power does corrupt people, though, able to turn a person hellbent on liberating his people into a worse ruler than his predecessor. It can make a trusted person into your worst nightmare, even, so I'd be cautious about that.」

Souichiro merely nods.「It's a shame that not many others share your point of view.」

I laugh a little.「It's actually probably for the best that people aren't like me.」He raises an eyebrow again, but I shake my head.「It's for other reasons.」

The head of the Takagi household extends his left hand toward me. I grasp his hand with my right hand firmly and shake.「It was a pleasure talking with you, Lieutenant Collins.」

I nod and remove my hand from the shaking.「As it was with you, too, Takagi-san.」I begin to open the door.

「Lieutenant.」I turn and face Souichiro.「You and your squad may stay here until we leave. If you wish, you may join us after we leave, as well. Having members of the American Marines with us would certainly boost morale.」

I bow my head.「I appreciate it, sir.」

「One more question.」

「What is it, sir?」

「Could you go down to the barricades and help look out?」

I nod as I swing the door open some more, earning a polite nod from Souichiro before I walk out. That was interesting, to say the least. He seems more intimidating than he actually is. I walk down the hall and look around, the front door to my left.

When Souichiro arrived, he attracted a huge crowd of people in the front of the Estate and had a zombie in a cage. He said something about how it was once a noble man and chopped its head off. Some people flipped out, others were shocked, and one person got angry at the use of a sword. I was looking out of a second-story window near the balcony when I heard Kohta shout about how inefficient swords, especially those of the Japanese variety, were. He ran out angrily with Takashi in tow. Neither paid any attention to me, but I agree with Kohta. Japanese swords are fairly inefficient. Maybe a Western sword, like a claymore or saber, would hold up, but a katana and the like... not so much. I heard Saeko present a very interesting counterargument, though the validity of it is debatable. Your mental strength cannot possibly affect the durability of a blade. That's like saying your physical strength can determine how far an airplane flies.

In other words: it doesn't.

I walk through the mansion until I reach the back door and walk outside. I don't feel so naked, now that I have the 1911s back at my side. The thirty-some hours that I've been here are still getting us nowhere. My hand feels better, though, so that's a plus.

I scratch my head as I look around. Where the hell are the others? They said they'd be out here... I see Saeko in a kimono in the distance. Not bad. Saya's near her for some reason, wearing the same outfit she was yesterday.

"Jake!"

I look away from the girls and to my right, Luke and Dom walking from behind a tree, Luigi and Kiera in tow. Luigi speeds up and grabs my shoulder.

"So how'd it go?" he asks. He's wearing his uniform, surprisingly, while the others are wearing random clothes.

I shrug. "Alright, I guess. He said having members of the USMC would be good for morale and that we could stay."

"Sounds good," Kiera says. I cock an eyebrow at her, still curious about what went down with her and her dad. I know she's not gonna tell me, but still.

"Honestly guys," I say, patting the Colt on my right thigh. "What the hell are we accomplishing?"

"What do you mean?" Luigi asks.

I gape at him for a second before turning around. "It... never mind, I wasn't thinking. Just kinda hungry, I guess."

That earns some laughter from my friends, but not me. That question's gonna weigh on my mind for a while. We aren't doing shit. Yeah, safety is nice and all, but we need to be able to set up our own little community. Little, not grand. Hell, maybe even try finding a cure or something...

Yeah, a cure... Ha, the only cure that'll seem likely to the United States government are fuckin' firebombs. Napalm everything, just like in Vietnam...

* * *

**Meanwhile, at the Tokonosu Offshore Airport...**

* * *

Colonel Jeff Marston ran his hands through his hair. Things were getting worse by the minute, it seemed. First, he lost contact with Lieutenant Collins and Metal Team, then a search team spotted the helo smashed in a building. After that, that Japanese sniper, Rika Minami or whatever, reported an increasing amount of undead on the runway.

"Fucking shit," the Colonel swore as he mixed whiskey with sake. To make matters even worse, people kept getting bit, even Marine personnel. Death tolls were getting ridiculously high.

"Jeff, don't take responsibility for this," Colonel Fred Sanders said as Marston downed the alcohol.

"Our men are fucking dying, Fred! I sent five teenagers to their damn deaths and a dozen other Marines to theirs in this hellhole! Whose idea was it to make this a base anyway?"

"It was the President's idea, Jeff."

Colonel Marston made some more of the mixed alcohol and poured it into a tall glass. "Which President? We've had, like, six in two days! They don't know what the hell they're doing!"

"Then why don't we take matters into our own hands?" Paulson asked.

"Splinter off in Japan?" Jeff Marston laughed hard for the first time in a week. "What's next, we ally with Cuba and North Korea launches a rocket to Pluto successfully?" The Colonel took a long draft of his alcohol. "Don't make me laugh."

"I believe we just did, but that's not the point," Paulson pointed out, the Lieutenant Colonel pointed at the map situated to their left which had a red circle drawn around an area. "The Takagi Estate is right around there. We could send another team in and see-"

"Tomorrow."

Paulson stopped and raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, sir?"

"If you're gonna send a team, do it tomorrow. This airport is about as safe as Kubota Garden and we need to scout out somewhere. No more seamen as pilots, either! Now go, both of you."

Paulson and Sanders both rose and left, leaving Colonel Marston to his devices. The worst thing happening to the Colonel wasn't the loss of his men or the increasing amount of undead on the airport. No, those losses weren't the worst.

The worst loss United States Marine Colonel Jeff Marston experienced was that of his rationality.

* * *

**「It Was a Good Day」(don't ask why I chose this song)**


	10. Raincheck

Chapter Ten: Raincheck

* * *

**Z-Day + 4**

**5:34 P.M.**

**Takagi Estate, Tokonosu City, Tokonosu Prefecture, Japan...**

* * *

Luke Kowalski and Dominic Collins walked down the hall from their rooms, each wearing their full USMC uniforms, pads and vests included. Dom weighed the R11 RSASS in his hands merely out of habit, as did Luke with his UMP45.

They, like Jake, were asked by the head of the house, Souichiro Takagi, to work the barricades in shifts. Luigi and Kiera were standing watch on the balcony, completely out of the rain. Jake lent them his M110 for lookout, preferring to use his AUG A3.

"You know," Dom said to his pale friend. "Jake's probably dancing in this right now."

"The rain?" Luke asked, earning a nod. "Yeah, he probably is."

It suddenly began raining an hour ago, right in the middle of Jake's shift.

The duo stopped walking about ten feet from two of the Japanese girls, girls that Dom had dubbed "Jake's Buddy" and "Orangey."

Despite knowing her name, Dom decided to refer to Saeko as Jake's Buddy, regardless. She was the girl who his cousin got into a sparring match, if that was what it really was, and pissed up his hand in the process. Purple-haired and tall for a Japanese girl, she was slightly intimidating, likely making Luke piss his pants. Dom had to admit she was attractive, at least from Jake's point of view. _Jake always did have a thing for Japanese girls.._.

Orangey was a girl that no one from Metal Team really talked to, but Dom had seen her and that Takashi fellow together a couple times. Something happened to her that caused her to be bedridden for a day, but she started moving around the next day. She was also attractive, but Dom had to resist the urge to laugh every time she walked. She had two "antennae" at the front of her hair that bobbed in an oddly comical fashion. Her orangish-brown hair contributed to her name. "Sore Boobs" was a close contender for her name, since he once heard her shout something about having sore boobs because of someone firing a gun on them. He inferred most of that conversation, since all he picked up was "sore," "boobs," and "gun." He was better with Spanish than Japanese.

Neither party could hear what the girls were saying, but Dom actually had a chance of understanding some of it, thanks to Jake saying things in Japanese for a couple years.

「Don't bring that up!」Orangey suddenly said loudly, turning around. Dom surprisingly understood, but only barely.「That's the ... thing I ... think about! 」

Orangey stormed off, pushing past the Marines as they watched in silence. Luke began to giggle and Dom figured it was because he saw the bouncing hairs. Dom smacked Luke in the stomach to cease the giggling, not wishing to incur the wrath of Orangey and her antennae.

Saeko raised an eyebrow at the two members of Metal Team and Dom held his left hand up. "Hey, Jake's Buddy!" Whether or not she spoke English was none of his concern. He just felt like being friendly.

"Jake's Buddy?" she asked. "When did you come up with that name?" Her English was obviously accented, but it wasn't unintelligible like some Japanese people's English.

"Oh, you speak English..." Dom nervously laughed. "Uh, when I saw you and Jake yesterday, after he sprained his wrist."

"Oh, that," she said, putting her head down for a short moment. "Who are you?"

Dom cleared his throat. "I apologize for not introducing myself. I am Jake's cousin, Dom Collins." He jabbed his thumb towards Luke. "This imbecile is Luke Kowalski."

Saeko nodded politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Saeko Busujima."

Luke bowed politely, which was very odd to Dom. "It's nice to meet you," the pale teen said.

"Are you doing something, Miss Busujima?" Dom asked, nodding towards the door as he gripped the RSASS with his left hand again.

"As a matter of fact, I am."

"Ah." Dom nodded and pushed Luke forward. "Then we won't waste any of your time. Hope to see you again soon!"

She smiled a little. "Likewise." Saeko opened the door and walked inside, leaving the pair of Marines alone.

"Dom, what the heck?!" Luke complained.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Why'd you have to push me?"

"Oh... You were intruding on her personal space." Dom was full of crap and he knew it.

"Was not!"

"Were so!" Dom sighed and shook his head. "You might be more socially awkward than Jake. Hell, you are."

The pair began walking again, making their way to the second-floor balcony in the front. "You're a poopy-face tomato nose, you know that, Dom?"

"So you've said before." Dom shrugged and patted his leg holster with his left hand. The HK45 Tactical was firmly secured and he breathed a sigh of relief. He thought he forgot it on his bed.

The pair reached the balcony and spotted Luigi and Kiera, looking over the area with the M110 and binoculars, respectively. The coach buses in front of the mansion didn't phase Dom any, but he wasn't quite sure what they were for. Jake didn't explain much the earlier, especially after witnessing the conflict involving Kohta and his pals against some other people harassing him about the guns.

"Haven't seen you in a minute, Weeg!" Dom said energetically.

Luigi looked down at Dom after moving the rifle away from his face. "I hate you so much," he muttered, elbowing Dom in the chest. Luke started laughing at Luigi.

"Okay, geez!" Dom wheezed. He backed away from the taller and chubbier teen and leaned on the balcony's edge. "You guys see anything interesting?"

Kiera shook her head, her blonde hair done up in a ponytail. "No, not yet. Unless you find rain interesting." She lowered the binoculars and blew a strand of hair out of her face. "Aren't you two supposed to be down there, too?"

Luke shook his head and answered first. "No, we're starting at six."

"Hey guys!"

Dom turned around and saw Alice standing in the doorway to the balcony with Zeke next to her. He smiled and set his rifle down, Luke doing the same with his SMG.

"Hey there Alice," Dom said, kneeling down a little. "Whatcha do-?"

"Puppy! Hey puppy!" Luke nearly shouted, dropping to his knees and petting Zeke. Alice began to laugh while Dom just shook his head. He sensed Luigi yelling at Luke mentally, since the two didn't seem to get along too well.

"So, whatcha doing, Alice?" Dom asked, Luke's need to be obnoxious sated.

"Nothing, really. I just wanted to see if you wanted to play."

Dom scratched his chin and thought for a moment. "Unfortunately, I can't right now. Luke and I have to go down to the barricades pretty soon." He pointed towards his right eye. "Keep an eye out, y'know?"

Alice nodded. "I understand."

"Where are your other buddies, like Kohta and Takashi?"

She shrugged. "I dunno."

Dom looked at his scouting squad-mates and Luke before returning his gaze to the little girl. "How about Luke and I help you find them, huh?"

"Okay!" the little girl enthusiastically replied.

Dom nodded and stood, grabbing his rifle. Reluctantly and in the middle of giving Zeke a belly rub, Luke followed suit, standing and grabbing his SMG. The duo didn't need the weapons, but they were likely going to start walking down after they found Kohta and Company.

Luke, Dom, Alice, and Zeke all began walking towards the stairs. Besides Saeko, Jake's Buddy, Dom only spoke to Kohta and Alice. They all seemed to be part of a group, evidenced by when Jake showed up with Takashi and Saeko a couple of days prior. Kohta and Alice both ran to meet them.

Alice socialized with Metal Team often, reminding Dom of his little cousin, Jake's sister. Tali was an odd little girl, but he treated her like his own sister, much like how he and Jake treated each other like brothers.

Dom looked over the railing as they began to descend the stairs, taking note of an empty foyer. _This is a little odd.._.

"Anyone here?"

Dom's voice eerily echoed throughout the foyer, an unexpected chill running over his back. The silence made him on edge, something he could sense from Luke as well. Alice, however, was undeterred.

"Kohta! Shizuka-san!" the little girl loudly said, scratching her head when she received no reply. "Maybe they want to play hide and seek?"

"Doubt it," Dom said, stepping off of the bottommost stair. He didn't want to rain on the little girl's parade, but he didn't see any other way of going about the issue.

The three began walking down the hall to their right from the bottom of the stairs. Dom squeezed the handguard of his rifle out of nervousness._ Jesus, man. Why are you so nervous?_

Alice suddenly shot forward, her arm extended in front of the trio. "There they are!"

Dom looked where she pointed and noted Kohta, Saya, and a busty blonde. _She must be Shizuka-san,_ Dom concluded about the blonde. He wasn't sure whether or not to commit the names and faces to memory, but he felt relieved. He blamed his tension on paranoia he got from Jake.

"Oh, hey there Alice," Kohta said, kneeling down to pat her head. "Where were you?"

"I went to play with Dom, but he can't play right now..."

Kohta looked up at Dom with a raised eyebrow and cocked his head to the side, as if to ask why.

"Guard duty down at the barricade," Dom duly informed Kohta. Kohta nodded and turned his attention back to Alice.

"It's okay, though," the child said to Kohta. "You can play, can't you, Kohta?"

The chubby Japanese nodded with a grin. "Of course I can."

"Isn't Jake down there right now?" Saya suddenly asked, surprising Dom. He'd barely talked to her, but he'd seen Jake have a couple conversations with her. _Damn, 'cuz. Way to get - what are those called, a harem? Yeah, way to try making one of those._

"Yeah, he is down there right now."

"Probably dancing in the rain," Luke added.

Dom nodded and pointed to Luke. "What he said."

Saya didn't make any facial expressions, merely nodding. Dom didn't look her over long, not wanting to give an awkward impression. His gaze lasted a mere two seconds before he looked elsewhere.

"Um..." Shizuka-san uttered, her phone in front of her face. "Potato?"

Dom and Luke couldn't help but laugh at the woman's silly statement. She looked confused at their laughter, but didn't ask what was funny.

"What the hell are they doing?" Saya suddenly said, causing Dom to raise an eyebrow.

She walked forward, everyone else in tow. They reached the foyer again and Dom noticed that Takashi dude with Orangey/Sore Boobs and Saeko. All three were dressed up in what seemed to be "combat gear," Orangey holding an M1A1 rifle and Saeko a sword.

Takashi said something in Japanese that Dom didn't quite catch, as did Saeko. Dom and Luke stood there, ignorant to what was being said.

"Hey Dom! Luke!" Dom and Luke both looked up the second floor and spotted Kiera waving to them, both of them surprised to hear her. "There's a bus or something that came up a minute ago and Jake was riding on it. Might want to check it out."

Orangey, not paying attention to the American girl, suddenly gasped and unfolded the bayonet at the tip of her gun, sprinting to the front door.

"Rei!" Takashi said, turning around. _So that's her name..._ 「Rei, come back!」

Dom and Luke didn't hesitate to follow. If Jake was on that bus and Sore Boobs felt inclined to charge at it, it was more than worth checking out.

Luke pushed the closing door back open and the pair ran out to see what was going on, only to find Rei sticking the bayonet at some dude's throat and talking.

"Well, this should be interesting," Dom said as the others, his cousin included, entered the scene as well.

* * *

**Eight minutes earlier, at the barricades...**

* * *

Damn, I love the rain. Now if only it was snowing... Oh god, that'd be so much fun!

My USMC gear is getting a little wet, but that is perfectly fine to me. I twist my hand around the foregrip of the AUG, anxious to actually see something. Everyone here is wearing a poncho besides me and almost everyone is packing heat in the form of sidearms. I have the AUG and the M1911s and we have one dude with a shotgun, that's it.

「Hey Lieutenant,」the guy next to me says. He's kinda chubby.「You ever see combat while you were with the Marines?」

I nod, though I didn't see the combat he's asking about.「Yeah, I've seen some combat. Why?」

He shrugs.「Just wondering.」

I nod and look at the road, the unmistakable sound of tires sloshing through rain being made. A bus pulls up to the barricade, some blood on the front. I look inside and notice a sinister-looking bespectacled man with black hair driving.

「More survivors?」my fellow watchman, the chubby guy, says.

One of the windows drop down and a girl pops out, definitely a high schooler and around my age. Her boobs are drooping over the window, drawing my fellow watchman in.

「Please! Please help us!」the redheaded girl says.「We came from the school but there's no place we could go! You've got to help us!」

And I'm going out on a limb here, but I suspect she's using her tits as nothing more than a trap. I've honestly got a bad feeling about this.

The girl, whose desperation sounds falsified to me, looks at me. She notices my frown and opens her mouth again.「Please! You can't just turn us away!」

Like hell we can't.

The chubby watchman, whose name I think I should've learned, smiles a little then breaks into a wide smile.「A-a-alright, f-fine. Ju-just give me a minute, let me move the barricade!」

I hold my arm out.「Not so fast. You're really going to let them in just because she showed you cleavage?」

He shakes his head as he hops into the forklift and starts the engine.「They're school kids, Lieutenant. They've nowhere else to go. It's the right thing to do.」

Yeah, I'm a fucking school kid, too, but you don't need to know that. Something still feels amiss about this whole thing and I'm certain he was swayed by the cleavage.「Sure, man. Whatever helps you sleep at night.」

The bus begins to accelerate once a path is cleared, but I step in front of the bus and aim the AUG at the driver, causing him to stop.「Open the door.」He does nothing but narrow his eyes at me with his disturbing smile. 「I said, open the damn door!」

The once sinisterly smiling driver frowns and nods, opening the door. I walk beside the bus and walk on, waving away to my fellow watchmen.「I'm going to see these survivors to the Estate.」

They all nod and wave as the driver accelerates again. I look around the bus once the door closes, keeping my AUG held firmly. The driver's face is a twisted mess, so I guess he's absolutely pissed that I hitched a ride. My shift is almost over anyway, so why not? Well, there's roughly half an hour left, but no big deal.

「Why are you on this bus?」the driver suddenly asks through clenched teeth.

「I am merely ensuring your safe arrival to the Estate, sir,」I lie. He'd be safe regardless, but the bad vibes I'm getting are too much to ignore.

「American pig,」I hear him mutter. Oh, you did not just say that! I let it slide... for now.

I look around the bus. Some students cower when I look at them, others are doing... My god, are those girls making out? And is that a three-way snog session? Jesus, I knew there was something wrong on this bus. Why are there panties hanging over one of those seats? And a bra? What the hell did I get on, the Orgy Bus? And the stench... Oh Jesus, I think I'm gonna be sick.

I look back at the driver and his twisted and constipated look is gone, replaced by that disgustingly sinister grin. I just want to shoot this guy, I don't know why. Like, did he and these students engage in some giant orgy or something? From the grayish-white stains I see on some seats and the floor, it sure seems like it. Appalling. I don't care if the age of consent is thirteen in Japan, it's still screwed up to do that.

We pull up to the driveway and I forcefully open the door, hanging outside of the bus for air. The driver doesn't say anything, his sinister smile intact.

The bus stops and I hop out first, taking several more huge breaths of fresh air, not that dank orgy smell. One of Souichiro's men meets the driver and starts walking with him, the students taking shelter underneath one of the buildings. The bus doors are open, so I hop back in, just to make sure that my mind wasn't playing tricks on me. I walk through the aisle and take in all the disgusting and suggestive sights once more: the bras, the panties, the semen stains... I seriously think I'm going to puke from all this debauchery.

Running back out into the fresh, rainy air, I take some more breaths. Looking at the area the students took shelter in, they're all hugging a member of the opposite sex, bar two girls who start kissing each other.

I shake my head and start walking to the mansion itself. Those kids, kids my age, are all sex slaves now. This dude really shouldn't be allowed into the Estate.

I look up at the balcony and spot Luigi and Kiera. I wave and begin running to the entrance. My eyes wander up to the entrance and it seems that the driver's already encountered trouble, this time from that orangish-brown haired girl that Dom suggested we call Sore Boobs. Well, he settled on Orangey, but I like Sore Boobs. The name, not the... never mind.

She shoved a bayonet in his face, which is attached to a gun I think is based off of the M14 battle rifle. I can't tell from this distance, though.

I sprint up the stairs, curiosity overwhelming me. I want to know why she's threatening this dude. Maybe he tried molesting her or something, which is a perfectly understandable reason to try attacking him. Given what I've seen on that bus, I wouldn't be surprised.

「...but I held my temper,」Sore Boobs says. I look over the group around them and notice Takashi, Luke, and Dom already standing there, and Saeko, Saya, Alice, Kohta, and Marikawa-san all coming out of the front door.「Because he told me that he would be able to arrest you and your father if his investigation went smoothly. But now...」She lightly moves the rifle, now known to me as a Springfield M1A1 Super Match, forward some, just enough for the bayonet to touch the bus driver's cheek and draw blood.「You pay.」

Must be a sharp bayonet if blood was drawn from a slight touch.

「Are you going to commit murder?」the driver nervously says.「You're a policeman's daughter for God's sake! You don't want to become a criminal, do you?」

「I don't want to hear that from you!」Sore Boobs shouts in conjunction with a lighting strike and a thunderclap.

「What she said, you sexual deviant,」I add, walking forward some. Saeko looks at me and shakes her head, likely meaning to back off. I nod and step back, but I do raise my AUG at him.

「Then you should kill him.」Everyone looks back at the door to see Souichiro Takagi standing in it, his face grim.「Once I had an association with this man's father.」Sore Boobs, whose name I should really find out, and the driver both look at Souichiro with wide eyes. I don't know why she is, since she was hellbent on chopping this dude up a second ago.「But now, that means nothing. If you wish... KILL HIM!」

Takashi dashes forward, but Saeko grabs his arm and mutters something I don't catch. The driver backs up as Orangey walks forward some with the rifle raised.

「Go ahead and kill me. I welcome it,」he says, raising his hands.「Just know that when you do, you'll be haunted by this violent act of vengeance as long as you live. And that is the best lesson I could teach you as your instructor.」

「You were certainly teaching other things on that bus,」I blurt out. Souichiro and other members of the group raise eyebrows at me.

「Do not fail this test,」the driver continues, ignoring me.

The tension rises, two rifles aimed at one man. I'm the first to lower mine, since I don't really have any beef with the dude, just disgust. I'd love to hit him, though. Just one good smack in the face with the butt of my rifle...

Orangey lowers her rifle next, earning a collective sigh of relief from everyone except me and the driver himself. She begins walking back to the door quietly.

「Are you certain this is your decision?」Souichiro asks.

Orangey sighs.「He's not even worth killing.」She then reenters the mansion.

The driver just seethes at Orangey, inhaling and exhaling rapidly. I look at Souichiro, whose facial expression is still fairly grim yet unreadable at the same time.

「Get out of here!」he shouts.「And take your students with you, the ones who have already been infected by your evil!」He then looks at me.「Lieutenant, would you...?」

I nod and grab the frozen sexual deviant's arm in an attempt to move him. He doesn't budge, so I raise the AUG and whack him in the face. He falls to the ground, blood sliding out of his nose.「That's for calling me an American pig earlier, criminal scum.」

Dom and Luke walk forward as I pull the man to his feet with my left hand. I drag him out to the bus with the help of Luke, Dom, and some of Souichiro's men. The other men corral the students onto the bus while I shove the driver onboard. One of the other men slams the door shut and the bus quickly leaves, the gate shutting behind it.

"That dude was a freaking creep," I say to my squadmates.

"What do you mean?" Dom asks, raising an eyebrow as we walk back to the mansion.

"That was a damned orgy bus, man. That dude and those kids had huge orgies, I swear."

"That's nasty," Luke says in disgust.

"Just be glad your innocent eyes didn't see what my corrupted eyes did, Kowalski."

Dom laughs a little and I crack a grin. Nonetheless, that was still pretty disgusting. Normally, I'd be all for girls making out and stuff, it's a typical teenage boy thing, but in this case... I don't know, it was so wrong. Everything was, not just that.

「Lieutenant,」Souichiro says from the stairs in front of the mansion.「You called that man, Shidou, a sexual deviant earlier. Why is that?」

「If you had seen what was on that bus, you'd say the same thing. Need I describe anything?」

The head of the Takagi household shakes his head.「No. That is absolutely disgusting. It's a good thing we got rid of him. He's mere scum.」

I nod, though I wonder if letting him live was a good idea.「I don't think it'll be the last we see of him.」

「I doubt he will survive long enough, Jacob.」

「Maybe so, sir.」

He shrugs and walks off somewhere while I walk back up to the mansion with Dom and Luke.

"You're gonna be our interpreter, alright?" Luke says, looking at his feet.

"What for?" I ask.

"For Japanese conversation, duh," Dom interjects. "You already know Luke doesn't understand past third-grade English, so-"

"Hey!"

Dom laughs, but I don't. Normally, I'd be laughing with them, but I don't feel like it right now.

We step inside the mansion just as it stops raining, passing Orangey in the process. Even though I'm supposed to be down on guard duty, Mister Takagi didn't seem to mind that I was up here. We walk into the foyer and ascend the stairs to the second floor, Luke and Dom jesting with each other the whole way.

"Dude, why do you always have that backpack on?" Dom suddenly asks when we near the balcony doors, surprising me.

"You never know when you'll need it," I say, shrugging.

"It's got to be uncomfortable when you have one of the rifles slung through, right?" Luke asks.

I nod in response, but the discomfort isn't that noticeable. Not to me, at least. I walk out onto the balcony with my comrades, patting Luigi on the shoulder.

"Hey Weeg," Dom says. "Haven't seen you in a minute."

"I hate you even more," Luigi responds with an agitated growl.

Luke and Dom laugh while I set the AUG down and take the M110 out of Luigi's hands. He shrugs and turns around, probably wanting to mollywop Dom. I don't think I should pay attention right now.

I aim the rifle down the road at the bus, resisting the urge to shoot out one of the tires. Something about that guy just irks the hell out of me. It's barely within sight now anyway, but still.

"What the hell's that?" Kiera says, causing me to remove myself from the scope.

"The hell's what?" I ask. She points into the sky and I look up, a ridiculously bright light emanating. The sky's orange, so that can't be the sun. Is that a...

I drop the M110 to the floor of the balcony. "That's a fucking nuke."

"What the hell do you mean, 'a nuke?'" Dom asks.

"It's a nuke, alright," Luigi chimes in. "Think it detonated in the atmosphere?"

"Do I think that?" I ask, turning towards Luigi. "I don't think that, I know that! Look at it! Where do you think it detonated? My ass?"

"Might've, you're cranky."

"I'm always cranky, apparently."

I bend down and pick the M110 up and aim at the road again. The bus is out of sight, but I see a helicopter fall out of the sky in the distance. Poor bastards.

Wait, if they fell out of the sky...

"Enemy EMP inbound!" I nearly shout.

"This isn't Call of Duty!" Luigi groans. "But, it is an EMP caused by a nuke."

"But... Why?" Luke and Kiera ask simultaneously.

"Nukes were launched somewhere... By who, I suspect Russia or China, but the United States were definitely involved," I say.

"Makes sense," Dom adds. "When we were in Seattle and I was your radio contact or whatever, I overheard the Colonel arguing about the launch of nuclear missiles with the President or someone."

I don't think the President would be talking to the Colonel about that, but it makes sense. Maybe it was another high-ranking member of the military. Maybe it was his mother. No one knows.

"We might be fine," I say. "Multiple governments tests show that not every little thing is affected by the EMP, contrary to popular belief, but-"

"That's what the government wants you to think," Luke interjects.

"Bingo."

「It's an HANE,」I hear Saya say from below. Takashi says something that I can't make out, though I figure it's what the acronym stands for.「A high-altitude nuclear explosion, do I have to spell it out to you?」The English bits made that a confusing sentence.

I shoulder the rifle again, aiming down the road again. After a couple minutes, Japanese speech taking up most of that time, I spot something. Running up the road is one of the men I was at the barricade with earlier. He keeps turning around and firing his handgun. Did the zombies break through?

"Jake, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Kiera asks.

"Plain as day."

He runs back some more and one zombie comes into view, followed by another, and another, and a dozen, and a score, and a whole freaking battalion of the freaksacks.

"Mother of god," I mutter.

"Jesus Christ!" Kiera loudly says, backing up as evidenced by her footsteps.

I could take a shot, but that's a lot of compensation. Given the size of that horde, it would just be a wasted bullet anyway. Not worth it at all.

I stop looking down the scope and turn to my compadres. Luke and Luigi are the only ones with raised eyebrows, Dom already looking down his scope. I put my hand in front of his scope and he looks up.

"Don't even think about taking a shot." I then lean over the railing. 「We've got a guy coming up, zombies right behind!」I shout to anyone who can hear.

I hear gasps of surprise from right below us, Saeko's group, and I look down to see Souichiro look towards me.

"Everyone, head downstairs," I order, slinging the AUG and the M110 at the same time before I vault over the balcony and hang on the ledge. Kiera gasps and I can barely see Dom shaking his head. The rapid footsteps that follow indicate running. I drop down onto one railing and hop down to the landing, coming face-to-face with Saya, whose eyes are wide.

「How stupid are you?!」she damn near shouts.「You could've just-」

「Ran down the stairs? I know.」

She just shakes her head at me, grimacing.

「Lieutenant, what were you talking about?」Souichiro asks.

「Zombies broke the barricade or something. Just look!」I throw my arm towards the gate.

He looks at the road and his eyes widen slightly. The man who was running makes it through the main gate and starts firing his handgun.「I said stay back!」

He runs out of ammo in his magazine and I draw my AUG, but it's too late. The zombies pull him out and start munching on him, blood pooling out and mixing in with a rain puddle.

「Close the gate! Hurry up!」Souichiro shouts. 「Don't let the dead come inside!」

A man in a white coat stops and turns to him.「Commander, we still have a lot of men on the outside of the complex!」

「We'll lose everything if we don't close the gate now!」Souichiro counters.「Do it!」

Some men run to the gates and slam them shut, a lone zombie making it through. Kohta picks it off with his rifle, one that he must've pulled out of hammerspace or his ass. From the looks of things, it's an AR-10, albeit heavily modified. One of the men at the gate say something to Kohta, but over all the growls of the zombies, I can't hear him. Kohta must've, because he's grinning.

Another of Souichiro's men runs up to our little group with a metal box in his hands just as the rest of my squad reunites with me.「Commander, Madam... I brought this as you requested.」

Yuriko tosses away her overcoat and rips her dress at the thigh. She opens the box and pulls out a Luger P08 with a drum magazine and a fixed stock. She holds the pistol out to her daughter as Kohta starts spazzing out over the handgun.「Use this, Saya,」Yuriko says.

「But I don't even know how to use that thing!」the pink-haired self-proclaimed genius complains.「Wait a minute, what are you even doing with a gun?」

Yuriko grins a little.「When I was working on Wall Street, I was taking the Executive Self-Defense course. Actually, I might be a better shooter than your father.」

「The streets of New York are mean, folks,」I say, earning a nod of agreement from Yuriko. They don't need to know that I've never been to the Big Apple.

The lady of the Takagi house turns to Kohta.「You will show her how to use it, won't you, Hirano?」

His eyes light up like a Christmas tree on fire.「YES MAMA!」he shouts before quickly berating himself quietly. 「YES MA-MA'AM!」

I motion to my friends to follow me and we walk up the stairs.

"What's our plan of attack?" Luigi asks as we all look at the gate from the railing. The zombies are getting quite forceful. It's only a matter of time before they knock it down.

"I don't know, Weeg," I say, unslinging the AUG. "We have no easy means of escape. If we lobbed an explosive in the middle of that crowd right now, we could take out a good bit of them-"

"But leave a ridiculous amount of crawlers. Enough for another Crawler Army!" Luke interjects.

I nod and resist the urge to smack him. "Yes, many of them will lose appendages, but that still makes it easier to kill them."

"Why don't we just shoot first, plan later, huh?" Dom suggests.

"Good idea." I try snapping my fingers, but fail horribly. The others seem to get the idea, though.

I look back at the gate and- well shit. It took a tumble. The zombies all start slowly charging over the fallen gate. The men who were holding it up are getting eaten, all the while telling Souichiro to make a run for it.

Saeko's group disperses amongst the crowd, Saeko herself beating and slashing a couple zombies to death.

"Dom, head over there," I point to where Kohta is standing, "and provide cover fire with Kohta. Luigi, you and I will do the same with our assault rifles. Luke and Kiera, you guys just hang back for now."

Luke and Kiera run up to the mansion's front door and wait while Dom runs over to Kohta. Luigi and I walk forward some and aim down our sights.

"Your ACOG still working?" I ask.

"Surprisingly. Should it be?"

"It's not battery-powered, so yeah."

I flick the safety off and the fire selector to semi-auto, aiming around for a zombie. Right behind Saeko is a zombie that I don't think she's noticed, so...

I squeeze the trigger and the bullet flies out, smacking into the zombie's head. A little blood spurts out of the entrance wound, getting on Saeko's clothes. She looks right at me and I give a thumbs up. She gives me a nod and runs off to slice up some more freaks.

Gunfire is coming from all around: Luigi and myself, Kohta and Dom, various members of Souichiro's private army, so to say... It's quite loud. If only that asshole didn't start shooting earlier, maybe we could've holed up here safely. They are attracted to sound, so the running and gunning by that asshat hasn't helped whatsoever.

"Think we should go down and help more personally?" Luigi asks, firing off another round.

"We could," I reply, popping another zombie in the face. "But everyone down there is retreating up here. All we can do is lay down cover fire. Why do you think I had Luke and Kiera stay back?" Line it up and... pop. That's one more on my kill count.

「There's no end to them!」I hear Takashi say. How I can associate these voices with names is quite astounding to myself, actually.

I fire off another shot, drowning out any response. "You see anyone else?" I ask Luigi.

"No!" he shouts, double tapping a pair of undead.

I look around and see that most of the survivors are on the topmost landing. I tap Luigi on the shoulder and motion up the stairs. We run up together, but I keep my aim trained on the horde. It's thinned out a little, but I don't think it's enough to breathe a sigh of relief.

We reach the top of the stairs and I lower my bullpup rifle. Souichiro's men are armed with M16s, their aim trained on the horde. For now, I ought to check my supplies.

I unsling the M110, set it down, then slide the backpack off. I open the backpack and look inside. I've got my iPod and a charger — not like those will be any good now — some attachments for the guns, the suppressors, a good deal of ammunition for the AUG, M110, and the 1911s, toothpaste, and a toothbrush...

I close the backpack, not needing to look much more. I slip my arms back through the straps and resling the M110. The rest of Metal Team must've walked over while I was looking, because they're all giving me weird stares.

"I thought you had some skin mags in there," Dom said.

I pat my cousin on the shoulder. "No, but those mags can save your skin."

「We'll rip through the enemies and head next door!」Souichiro loudly says for everyone to hear.「Come if you're a man and ready to battle, and as for the women and children: stay close behind. Immediately, if you want to survive!」

Saya suddenly lurches forward.「Dad, why don't we just barricade ourselves in the-」

「They broke through the iron gate!」Souichiro retorts, turning around.「What's the point of trying to protect the house? Even if we barricade ourselves in the mansion, they'll still break in and kill us all.」

And it looks like the genius just got schooled. Saya backpedals a little while Takashi and Kohta walk forward. They begin talking, but I can't hear them.

"What're we gonna do?" Kiera asks.

"What we've been doing," I say, raising my AUG a little. "Surviving. If we have to help people, we will."

"For a sociopath, you certainly care about people."

"Yeah, about that..."

「Dad, what do you mean by tha-」I look at the crowd of Japanese survivors in time to see Saya get slapped by her mom. Well then, this escalated even more quickly than the outbreak itself. While I'm curious about what's going on, I'm not sure if I should listen or not.

「Stop acting like a child. Your father and I have work to do,」Yuriko sternly says.「Deal with it. I've left you many times in your life and I'm sorry for that. I hope someday you'll forgive me, but I'm leaving you this time because I have to. I'm not leaving you because I want to.」

"Aw man, I'mma cry," Luke says loud enough for only us to hear.

"You can't even understand them, dumbass," Dom says at an equal volume.

"It still seems like something sad."

"It's not something to cry over, but definitely a little disheartening," I say at the same volume.

Alice walks over to Yuriko and they exchange words, too quietly to reach my ears. It's times like these that I wish I had superhuman hearing.

Yuriko stands up after embracing Alice and walks forward some.「Now, get out of here!」she loudly says.

"Who's she talking to?" Dom asks.

"Given what I heard, probably Saya and her group of friends," I say.

「Daddy... Mommy...」Saya seems to be tearing up as she turns around to run to Kohta and the rest of her group.「I love you so much!」

I guess I was right. Kohta looks at us directly and performs a well-executed salute, which we return, before he runs off with his group.

「Throw the dynamite!」Souichiro commands, drawing his sword, before turning toward us.「Lieutenant! Make sure my daughter and her friends get out of here safely!」

I nod.「On it!」

"What did he say to you?" Kiera asks, playing with the safety on her M1014.

I point towards the garage that Saya's group is headed towards. "We've gotta ensure their safe escape."

"Just sound ridiculous all the time, why don'tcha," she mutters, loud enough for me to hear.

"Dom, you head to the railing and provide cover fire again." I unsling the M110 and hand it to Luke, as well as a spare mag. "Luke, you do the same. Shoot us and I'll chop your balls off and feed them to a raccoon."

"C'mon Luke!" Dom shouts, pulling on Luke's shoulder as he runs to the opposite side of this landing. Luke's a little flustered and I have no clue if it is a landing, to be honest.

"Alright, man and woman, let's get a move on!" I command, earning a nod from Luigi and a sigh of exasperation from Kiera.

I take point and run down the stairs, leaping over the last three. We run down into the courtyard, zombies randomly wandering in every direction. I hear that fizz sound that's made by burning fuses and-

_BOOM! BOOM! BABOOM!_

They threw the dynamite, out of sight! Way to be groovy, Jake.

The blood and gore that rains down doesn't disturb me, which is actually striking me as odd right now. A bit of meat lands in Kiera's hair and she flips, frantically dancing around to get it out until Weegee steps in and pulls it out.

"Jesus!" he moans. "Grow up!"

"B-b-but..."

"We've got a job to do," I say, continuing forward. "How about we do it, eh?"

I run toward the garage, looking back to make sure my squadmates are following. They are, though Kiera has a disgusted look still plastered on her face. Can't say I blame her. The zombies went and messed up her hair. I hear a grunt of pain and a slight wail when I turn my head back to face the garage. Swinging my head back around- aw dammit! A zombie's grabbed Kiera! I raise my AUG and-

_BLAM!_

A gunshot rings out and blood sprays out of the zombie's head. The three of us all look up towards Dom, who grins and gives us a thumbs up. I nod and raise my fist into the air. I motion for the other two to follow me and we begin another run to the garage. A couple zombies are in front of the garage and Saya's group has yet to deal with them. I raise the AUG, flick the fire selector to full-auto, and squeeze the trigger, a hail of bullets mowing down the undead. Blood sprays out and about eight zombies fall to the ground.

"Shoutout to you, taking all the kills," Luigi says.

I shrug and lower the rifle as Saeko runs towards us, slashing at a couple zombies. She doesn't seem to notice us, and prepares to slash. Almost instinctively, I draw the combat knife with my left hand and raise it to block, the two blades connecting and creating a spark. A fairly large twinge of pain forms in my wrist as I use a lot of wrist strength to keep her sword in check. Saeko's eyes widen as she realizes that we aren't zombies. She withdraws her sword, but keeps it at the ready.

「I apologize,」she says.

「Heat of the moment, huh?」I ask, earning a nod as I sling the AUG on my shoulder and rub my slightly injured wrist. I'm shocked I did that. Hell, I'm shocked that was possible.「Good thing I somehow did that. You have something against my wrists, I swear. Anyway, how are you getting out of here?」I sheath the knife and unsling the AUG.

「That vehicle,」she says, pointing toward the Humvee parked in the garage. 「It needs a little bit of work. Why?」

Some gunfire erupts next to me from Luigi. It's sustained, so it's obviously from an automatic weapon.「Mister Takagi asked that we assist you in your escape.」

Saeko nods and dashes to another zombie, slashing at its throat. That girl has penchant for killing, it seems.

"So, what are we doing?" Kiera asks, holding her M1014 with one hand by her side.

"They're taking that Humvee out of here, so we're gonna stay out here and keep the freaksacks away while it gets a quick fix-up."

Luigi sighs and shoots a couple more zombies, blood spraying out onto the ground. "Can we not be someone's errand boys for once?"

A couple louder gunshots ring out from Dom and Luke. Some zombies near us go spread-eagle on the ground, blood spattered at an angle. I squeeze the trigger at a group of advancing zombies, maybe a dozen, and take out a quarter of it. Re-aim, squeeze- dammit! Need to reload. I hit the mag release, slide the old mag out, and slide a fresh one in, pulling the charging handle back afterward. I squeeze again, taking down the rest of the crowd.

Gunfire pollutes the air, coming from all directions. Takashi keeps shooting and pumping his Ithaca while Kohta's using his AR-10 at relatively close range. Souichiro's men are all firing a variety of guns, Luke and Dom are providing sniper support, and Kiera, Luigi, and myself are down here, shooting the enemy with Saya's group.

Another group advances and Kiera moves up with Takashi, the two of them using their shotguns to decimate the wave. Blood and gore sprays in all directions, yet Kiera keeps shooting. She stops and reloads after the crowd is decimated, Takashi and herself spattered with red. Orangey keeps stabbing zombies with her bayonet, and while I want to yell at her to shoot the damn rifle, I decide against it. I turn my attention to another advancing wave, instead. The lead zombie flies back, blood spraying out of its chest. I look to my right and see Kohta's AR-10 smoking at the barrel. Grinning, I raise the AUG and look down the Swarovski scope, lining up a group of heads. About five heads are in the sights, so I lightly double-tap the trigger, taking down all five. The blood drenches the fallen zombies' allies.

A gunshot rings out inside of the garage and I look back, barely catching a glimpse of blood spraying up on Saya, Shizuka-san and Alice standing behind her. Blood red polka dots decorate her twin ponytails and I'll assume her face, as well. She stands up and in her hand is the Luger her mom gave to her. It's a little surprising that she actually used it.

"Jake!" I hear Saeko shout and look to my left. A zombie comes out of nowhere and grabs hold of me, which is just my luck. I drop my AUG in the process, just barely able to keep the bastard's teeth away from me. A disgusting mixture of blood and saliva slides out of the zombie's mouth, it's jaw and mouth constantly moving up and down. If only my mental limiters weren't in place, this would be a fair fight!

Blood sprays on me, coming from the zombie's neck, and it goes limp. Wiping some of the blood out of my eyes, I look in front of me and see Saeko, holding her sword behind her back. She straightens herself as I pick up the AUG. I look down and note that the blood only sprayed on my face.

「You alright?」my possibly sadistic savior asks.

「Yeah, couldn't be better,」I reply, raising the AUG and squeezing off a shot at an incoming zombie just before Saeko spins around to slice at it.

She spins back around and nods.「Just keep your guard up, alright?」

I nod and she dashes back out of the garage, slicing up another group of zombies. Not only is she slicing and dicing, she's kicking and screaming. Okay, not so much screaming, but she's still beating the hell out of them.

A sound different from gunfire enters the pollution pool: an engine. I look back into the garage and see Shizuka-san in the Humvee, Saya and Alice hopping in it.

「Get in!」I shout to the other members of their group as the vehicle pulls forward some.

Takashi, Orangey - wait, where the hell she'd come from? - and Kohta run back and hop into the vehicle, Saeko and the puppy not far behind. Saeko slides to the top of the HMMVW and turns to me, a loud metal _clang_ coming from within the garage.

「What about you guys?」she asks.

「We'll stay here and help out,」I say, shooting another zombie.「Maybe we'll meet again.」

She nods.「Maybe we will.」

I don't know why I'm doing this, but I undo my left leg holster, the one holding the Desert Warrior, and hand it to Saeko in addition to a few magazines.

「Why?」she asks as she takes the holster, weapon included, and the magazines.

「Go on!」I shout, ignoring her question.「Get the hell outta dodge!」

Shizuka-san, who probably didn't hear me, peels out and the group disappears, Kohta performing another salute that I can barely see. I wave and feel the force of a bullet just missing me. A _thump_ sounds out, meaning it connected with a body. I look up and see an undead body fall to the ground, blood dripping out of the wound.

"Keep your head on!" Luigi shouts. "I thought you knew this, of all people!"

My head bounces a little and the AUG gets raised to my shoulder again. Looking down the scope, I aim at some more zombies, a rather large crowd, and squeeze the trigger. Combined with Luigi's fire and some fire from Souichiro's men, the undead fall in a great big heap of death. I look to my right and notice a guy in mechanic-ish clothing clobbering zombies with a wrench. He's already got a sizable amount of corpses lying around him, so I think he'll be fine.

"Dead, dead, dead, dead!" I shout, shooting at another group and reloading. Slapping in the fresh mag and chambering a round, I shoot some more, the zombies all falling on top of each other, much like a house of cards.

"Running a little low on ammo!" Luigi shouts after a few more minutes of continuous fire. The gunpowder is literally a more prevalent smell than death.

"I'm on my last group of shells or whatever the hell they are!" Kiera shouts.

"Get over here, then!" I shout. All this shouting is making my head hurt and the gunpowder is making my stomach turn.

Kiera sprints over to me, her shotgun buddy having left. She fires one more shotgun shell and slings the M1014. She unholsters her PM-9 and flicks the safety off.

"Just stay in the garage," I loudly say, pulling Luigi back into it. 「Mister mechanic guy! Get back here!」

The wrench-wielding man nods and backpedals a little, whacking any zombies that get too close. Blood stains his clothes, but that's not a new sight. I slide two STANAG magazines out and hand them to Luigi, who slides them into his pocket and shoots a couple more zombies. Kiera raises the PM-9 and squeezes the trigger, the nine millimeter rounds mixing in with my five-point-five-six rounds as well as Luigi's, reducing another wave to minced meat.

My eyes wander to the middle of the courtyard, flames dancing around in random areas. A broken-up wall of flames surrounds Souichiro and Yuriko, who are taking on the undead with a katana and a machine pistol. The undead are either burned to death, shot, or decapitated.

I kneel down on one knee and pull the AUG back into my shoulder a little tighter. Since we began killing, a considerable amount of the undead have been neutralized. I flick the fire selector to semi-auto and aim at individual zombies, the major crowds having been dealt with already. I squeeze the trigger several times, busting several heads and missing one shot.

"Can you tell us how long we're gonna be doing this, even an estimate?" Kiera asks, sliding out a spent magazine and slapping a fresh one in.

"I don't know," I say, squeezing off another shot. "We might be dug in for a while."

"But the crowd's thinning out!" Luigi informs me.

"I'm aware of thi- GODDAMMIT, JUST SHOOT!"

The mechanic is still up in front, whacking zombies masterfully with his blood-stained wrench. The blood on my face feels like it's drying up, which isn't a good thing. Luigi slides a spent magazine out and slides a fresh one in, pulling the charging handle back and taking aim. He squeezes the carbine's trigger repeatedly, burst-firing. Kiera seems to be getting cocky, stepping forward while shooting the PM-9. I run forward to grab her and she gets tackled by a zombie. I sense Luigi raise his carbine as I raise my rifle, but someone - Dom, I guess, for the second time tonight - beats us to the punch. Just as soon as the freaksack grabbed her and pinned her to the ground, it lost its head.

The mechanic runs over to her and grabs her, pulling her back to safety while Luigi and I pick off any undead. The mechanic's death toll is pretty high, a pretty well-rounded pile of corpses outside of the garage.

「Thank you very much, sir,」I say, downing another zombie.

「It's nothing. Just helping out a lady in need.」

I nod and raise the rifle again, but all of the zombies aren't coming toward us, instead going to the opposite side of the courtyard, where all the burning tents are. The fires that burn are the only reliable source of illumination right about now. Confusion whirls up inside me and I dash forward, looking around outside. Corpses litter the courtyard, blood pooling just about everywhere. There aren't anymore zombies stumbling through the gateway, the gate to which is being picked up by a large number of Souichiro's men. The zombies remaining are getting picked off by the men armed with M16s. Why aren't they armed with Howa Type 89s, though? Ah, screw it, we seem to have survived.

I look back at the three in the garage and motion forward, flicking the safety on and slinging the AUG. I wipe sweat off of my brow and- yep, the blood is dried up. Dammit.

「Didn't expect the American military to show up,」the mechanic says.「Especially Marines. I'm Maddo.」

「Pleased to meet you, Maddo-san. I'm Jake, that girl is Kiera, and the other guy is Luigi.」

Maddo merely nods and we all walk toward the mansion's entrance, the men at the gate making it about halfway before having to set the gate back down. They begin heaving again almost immediately. Wonder if we should help...

Souichiro and his wife are standing in the middle of a slowly dying half-ring of fire, blood smeared on their clothes and faces and their clothes ripped in various places. The Commander, I guess he they called him, notices us and calls over one of his men, telling him something. The man nods and runs off before Souichiro himself begins walking towards us.

「Maddo! You survived!」the Takagi patriarch says, almost out of character.

Maddo nods.「Well, milady is still here, like I told Saya-sama.」

「Head on up and take a breather.」The mechanic nods and leaves Souichiro with us, Luke and Dom walking up just in time.「Lieutenant, if your team needs to rearm, you are free to have ammunition that we can spare. However, there is one big favor I ask of you, from one leader to another.」

"Go rearm, guys," I say to my squad. They all nod and disperse, so I tilt my head sideways.「What would that be, sir?」

The man Souichiro spoke to returns with a metal box, much like the one another man brought to Yuriko.「Leave the Estate.」

「Might I ask why?」I mean, we were probably gonna leave anyway, but still...

「Before the EMP blast, my men had found out that the United States launched nuclear missiles at China, North Korea, and Russia. Russia and China retaliated, though Maritime Self-Defense Force and Navy ships were sent to shoot them out of the sky. That's when the EMP struck.」

So... We at least got North Korea?「Now what does that have to do with us leaving?」

Souichiro sighs.「I asked Saya to deal with some unruly people earlier, several of them being against U.S. military support. While I originally thought your presence would be good for morale, I doubt it will help now. The EMP is likely to be blamed on America as well, so your squad would be safest if you all left.」He lazily, yet not lazily at the same time, waves his hand at the man with the box, who opens the box.「Consider this to be a parting gift, an expression of gratitude for your help during the short amount of time you've been here.」

I peer inside the box and...「Is this a World War Two-era Imperial officer's katana?」

He nods.「Indeed it is, a shin-guntou. I heard about your sparring match with Busujima-san. I think you'll have much more use for it than I.」

I pick the sword - in its sash - up carefully and attach it to one of the belt loop things on the left side of my waist.「I thank you very much, sir. As for your request for us to leave, I understand.」

Souichiro nods and holds his hand out.「I'm glad you understand, Mister Collins.」I grasp his hand and we firmly shake, Yuriko walking up mid-shake.

「I have one other favor to ask of you, as a mother,」she says.

「Keep an eye out for your daughter and make sure she's safe if I can?」I ask, removing my hand from the shake and readjusting my pants.

She nods.「Yes.」

「I can do that. Maybe we'll meet again.」I turn my body around and hold my hand up.「Might as well get going, huh? Thanks for your hospitality, and don't worry: I will keep an eye out for Saya.」

"Semper fidelis," Souichiro suddenly says, causing me to turn around.

"Right, semper fi."

I jog toward the others, who're up on the stairs. Some of the ultranationalists set up ammo caches for some reason, so I drop my bag and stuff it and my pockets full of 5.56x45mm STANAG magazines and grab a couple sticks of dynamite. To be honest, that little goodbye back there could have been more eventful.

"So, what's with the sword?" Luigi, who comes out of nowhere, asks while I'm putting the backpack on.

"It's a gift, I guess."

"You look like a freaking weirdo with all those weapons."

"I know. It's not my fault."

"Totally is." He turns around and slings his M4A1. "So, what're we doing, O Glorious Leader?"

I sigh as Luke, Dom, and Kiera walk towards us. "Don't call me that. And we're leaving immediately."

"What?" they all exclaim.

"Stop hiveminding!" I complain. "But we're going to leave once everyone is ready."

"Might I ask why?" Dom asks, walking forward some.

"Back the hell up, we aren't brawling. As for our departure, it's mainly for our safety."

"Our safety is assured by going back out into hell?" Luigi asks. "I know you're messed up in the head, but I did-"

"You were the one bitching about being an errand boy, Weeg. For the Marines and this guy, despite being safe. You shouldn't be complaining."

"Then why is it for our safety?" Kiera asks. Jesus, what is this? The American Inquisition? This has nothing to do with religion, though.

"We launched nukes at China, Russia, and North Korea! From what Mister Takagi said, China and Russia retaliated, but Japanese and American naval forces intercepted the missiles, but one detonated."

"The EMP," Luigi concludes. "That's great and all, but again, what does that ha-"

"If we travel with these people, things could get hostile. From what I understand, there are people in this group who oppose American help, and since we're obviously American, they'll oppose us! Jesus Christ, I didn't know I had to dumb it down so much for you retards!"

"Alright Jake, stop being a dick!" Dom loudly says, punching me in the stomach not-so-playfully. I clutch my stomach and scowl, raising my clenched fists. "You're not the only fucker here who understands how to do shit!"

"Guys, guys!" Luke says, walking in between us before fists start flying. He's got me worked up, so it's a good thing Luke's between us. "We've got to work together, right?" Dom and I nod, still glaring at each other. "Then let's do just that. Jake said we have to leave? Let's. We'll be fine."

Dom and I stop glaring. I lower my fists and he straightens himself. Surprising that Luke's the moderator here.

"I'm sorry. Luke's right." I sigh and look around. "Hopefully you're all rearmed," I say. "We'll head down to the town via the back entrance, unless anyone has any objections." No one says anything, so I shrug. "Okay, we'll break into a house and barricade it for the night."

"Can't we just stay here for the night?" Kiera asks, uneasiness in her voice.

I shake my head, even though nothing was said against it. "You guys can go get anything out of your rooms. We'll meet up in the rear courtyard and head out from there. Again, any objections?" Crickets chirp.

The four of them head inside the mansion, looking for their stuff, while I walk immediately through to the back. I've already got everything in this bag, so I don't need to get it.

I pat my left thigh, alarmed by the lack of a... Oh, that's right. I forgot I handed it to her. My Desert Warrior is in Saeko's hands now.

The moon looks eerily peaceful tonight, in lieu of all the bloodshed. The occasional gunshot rings out, but it's nothing major. No zombies are outside of the rear gate, surprisingly. A cool breeze suddenly blows past, adding to the ironic tranquility of the early night. I truly have no idea where we're gonna go, though. Maybe migrate from house to house or find a shopping mall... Ha, and it'll be just like Dead Rising, except the Engrish will be properly placed this time. A dog causes an old lady to let the zombies in, DHS agents are in there for some reason...

I lean on the planter to my right and sigh. That would be ideal. We'd have a definite safe room and all.

The sound of a door opening disturbs the silent and quaint atmosphere and I turn around. The rest of my squad, my friends, all walk out of the doors, bags on their backs. Luke has his UMP on a sling, but it's dangling on his torso as opposed to his back like I do. That's actually kind of a good idea. In his hands is the M110, which I don't mind, given the get-up I have. He can be the guy who carries the extra rifle.

"Ready to go?" I ask. Everyone nods and I nod, too. "Let's get a move on. Luigi, light on."

We light our torches and I take point, as usual. We approach the gate and it opens, meaning Souichiro had someone watch for us to get near and then open it. Shrugging, I usher everyone out of the gate, Luigi's light illuminating the path. I follow right behind Luke, keeping an eye on the rear. The gate slowly closes behind us as we descend the hill, trees blocking the moonlight. While some moonlight seeps through, our flashlights provide most of the light. Right now, I wish I didn't give Saeko my Desert Warrior. It had a flashlight and could be fitted with a suppressor, which would be really helpful in this situation.

I could put the AUG's suppressor on right now, but we haven't seen any corpses yet. This walk might take a while, since it took Saeko, Takashi, and myself about twenty-five minutes to get to the Estate from the shrine, and we were usually in a dead sprint. Right now, we're moving at about half that speed, so this is definitely going to take a while...

* * *

"Hey, a house!" Luigi whispers.

"Let's go!" I command quietly, spotting the two-story house near us.

For the first time in half an hour, we start running some, our footsteps echoing through the lifeless streets. The groans of the dead are fairly far away, so we ought to be safe.

Luigi and Dom press up on opposite sides of the house's front door, Dom having drawn his HK45 ten minutes ago. I turn the door knob and shoulder in. The door opens and- holy crap! That was far too forceful of a hit, I almost fell on my face. Regaining my footing, I look around the room, not noting anything interesting. I motion for everyone else to come in, Luke shutting the door behind him.

"Weeg, check this floor, I'll check upstairs," I say. We're the only ones with flashlights, so we kinda have to.

I quietly walk up the stairs, flicking the safety on. I hold the AUG with my left hand, a little bit of pain shooting through it, and draw the katana with my right hand. The house is Japanese style, with sliding doors and that raised entry thing. I don't know the specifics. Oh, I bet it has those weird Japanese showers, then!

Don't get excited, Jake, it would be foolish to do so. You haven't even ascertained the safety of this dark place yet.

I walk to every room on the second floor and search thoroughly but logically. The four bedrooms are clear and outfitted with roll-up beds, though there are only four. The (thankfully) Japanese-style bathroom is also clear. I really want to use one for some reason.

I sheath the officer's sword and grip the AUG properly again, quietly walking down the stairs. The light shines off of the walls and other things around the house. The only creepy thing is how nothing seems to have been taken, like the residents of this place just up and left immediately.

Back on the ground floor, Luigi is shining the light on the front door, which Luke and Dom are pushing a bookshelf in front of. I look around for a back door, which turns out to already be covered.

"Where's Kiera?" I ask, noticing her absence.

"She found another flashlight," Luigi says. "She's looking in the fridge for food."

Good thinking. The EMP's only been active for a couple hours at the most, so the food should still be cold, to an extent. My stomach growls in response, which isn't surprising.

I walk back to the kitchen, shining the light around as I go. Even everything down here seems to be perfectly in place, which disturbs me even more. It's just... I don't know. Kiera's light beam bounces off of me, causing her to jump a little.

"Oh god!" she yelps.

"Shh!" I shush. "These walls aren't soundproof!"

She nods and returns to the fridge. I kill my torch and peer into the fridge as well, spotting a can of apple soda. Dammit Japan... aw, whatever. I grab the can and pop it open, my thirst for carbonated beverages needing quenched. I raise the can to my lips and take a couple gulps. Not bad, kinda... apple-y.

Kiera pulls something out of the fridge and sets it on the nearby table. I peer back in and pull out what looks like a bowl of cold ramen. I look around for something to eat with, but the light only illuminates so much. Kiera, with an exasperated sigh, picks up her flashlight and aims at a certain part of the kitchen. All that's here are... chopsticks.

"Dammit," I mutter, picking up the eating utensils and setting them in the bowl.

I pick up the can of soda and walk back into what I assume is the living room and sit down, the area somewhat lit up by a couple candles conveniently placed on the table. Dom and Luke are sitting down, while Luigi walks into the kitchen, passing by me.

I sit down American-style and set the bowl and can on the table, fumbling with the chopsticks to get some noodle. Man, do I wish I had a Swiss Army knife now.

I finally manage to grab a decent amount of noodle, but only after everyone sits down at the candlelit table. Everyone's faces are grim with some degree of blood on their persons. Kiera's got a whole bunch on her face and through her hair because of those two close shaves, while Dom and Luke have little to none on them.

After I eat some noodles, I push the noodle bowl up some and pick up the apple soda can, taking a swig.

"Alright, so I've got some bad news," I say, belching a little. My voice's volume is fairly low.

"That would be...?" Luke asks.

"Someone's gotta sleep with someone else, and I ain't doing it."

"I nominate Dom and Kiera!" Luigi damn near yells after taking a sip of water.

"Keep it down!" I warn. "And why?"

"Becau-"

"No reason at all!" Dom interjects nervously, which is very unlike him. "No idea what you're talk-"

Kiera suddenly leans in towards Dom and plants her lips onto his, in a full-on, no-holds-barred kiss. If this were an anime or manga, Dom's face would be firetruck red.

An awkward silence butts its way into the room, as do equally as awkward stares from myself, Luke, and Luigi. I don't know how much time has passed, but Kiera and Dom finally break their kiss and look at the three of us.

Dom looks down. "Uh..."

I reach over and slap him on the head, raising my hand afterward. He looks up and notices my hand. "High five, cousin," I say, grinning.

His embarrassed frown disappears and he smacks my hand with his, any and all conflict from earlier a thing of the past. Luigi begins laughing his weird laugh, which always has the added effect of pulling others into it.

"What's so funny?" I ask, taking a breath from laughing.

"It was so," Luigi laughs some more, "so awkward!"

I nod and laugh some more. For the first time in what seems like a while, we're having a good old fashioned giggle. For these moments, life and death don't hang in the balance with each choice we're presented. It's a comfortable reminder of our old lives. Life before the dead.

* * *

**Meanwhile, in an American-made HMMVW on a street in Tokonosu City, Tokonosu Prefecture, Japan...**

* * *

Saeko Busujima lowered herself into the vehicle, Marikawa-san's driving getting somewhat reckless. She almost had her head taken off when they left the Estate, but Takashi pulled her in at the last second.

"Marikawa-san, where are we going?" Saeko asked, cracking her stiff neck.

"Well," the nurse sighed, leaning back a little. "What do you guys think?"

"We need supplies," Kohta quickly said. "So, maybe the shopping mall?"

"I like Kohta's idea," Takashi agreed.

The rest of the group agreed and Saeko leaned back in the spacious but sometimes uncomfortable back of the military transport. She felt her left thigh, the gun holster she was given strapped to it, the gun inside.

She picked up the magazines at her side and looked at them, noting only seven fat rounds in the magazine.

"Hey Hirano." Kohta looked up at the kendo club captain with raised eyes. "What kind of gun is this?"

She drew the pistol and handed it to Kohta, whose eyes widened immediately. "This is a forty-five caliber Kimber Desert Warrior, based off of John Browning's famous M1911 design! These are often used by American Marines and special forces in Afghanistan, so how-" His eyes widened a little more. "Did the Lieutenant give this to you?"

"Lieutenant?"

"Jake Collins, one of the Americans back at the Estate. His rank in the United States Marine Corps is first lieutenant and he had two 1911s, one of them a Desert Warrior."

Saeko nodded, but noticed Saya shaking her head at the gun otaku. "Yeah, he just gave it to me. I don't know why."

Kohta shrugged. "Consider it a gift or an honor, whichever. This is a very powerful and reliable handgun. Aw man, I wish I would've been given a gun by a U.S. Marine, that would be so cool!"

While Kohta drooled over the possibility of getting powerful American weaponry from American Marines, Saeko looked out the window, the buildings all passing in a blur. Why did he give her the gun? It was all spur of the moment and she didn't get an answer as to why.

Saeko resisted the urge to sigh and wondered how the survivors at the Estate were holding up. She had little doubt that the Marines survived, but the rest were questionable. Regarding the Marines, she wondered where they were now, had they survived and escaped the Estate. Jake no doubt led his squad to safety. He seemed to be just as much of a leader as she and the others thought Takashi was. As for his skill with a sword... for someone without any formal training, Jake Collins was definitely bold and quick. There was something about him that puzzled her, but she couldn't figure it out.

The purple-haired girl let the thoughts of the United States Marine slip and turned back to Kohta Hirano, who seemed to still be excited about being gifts a gun used by a member of the American military.

"Hey Hirano, show me how to use this sometime?"

Kohta straightened up and put his hand to his head. "Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

**AN: So, two long chapters that move at varying rates.**

**I'm not going to guarantee when I will upload, nor can I guarantee one hundred percent accuracy on everything.**

**As usual, review, fav, and/or follow if you want. I do accept suggestions for the tenth time (probably not the tenth time I've said it, but still).**

**Also, all dialogue in the third-person scene at the end of the chapter is in Japanese, not English. I will use normal quotes if no natively English-speaking characters are to be in a third-person scene with the Japanese characters.**

**「Gimme Shelter」**


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